The_Feminization_Of_Poverty

The Feminization Of Poverty The Feminization of Poverty Poverty is defined as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. The federal government considers poverty as the minimal level of income necessary for individuals’ and families’ basic subsistence not to include noncash benefits such as food stamps. Regardless of how poverty is measured or defined families headed by single women with children are the poorest of all major demographic groups. The number of poor mother-only families increased from 1.5 million in 1959 to over 4 million in 1993. (Rodgers, 1996) The term the feminization of poverty is used to describe the likelihood that female heads of households will be poor. In this paper I will discuss the increasing trend of poor woman, some of the reasons why they become poor and the situations and reality they have to face. Families of single mothers and their dependent children are extremely vulnerable economically, educationally, and socially and suffer extremely high rates of poverty. In 1993 over 46 percent of all families with children headed by a single woman lived in poverty. (Rodgers, 1996) According to the official government definition of poverty, approximately poverty, families, single, poor, child, women, support, children, mothers, government, benefits, mother-only, rates, percent, one, much, live, lack, income, groups, fathers, day, situations, receive, provided, programs, over, nation, mother, major, life, job, increased, freedom, earnings