You should be alarmed at the latest US Census Bureau report. It found that more women are living in poverty than ever before, "More than 40% of women who head families are now living in poverty - a 17 year high." Why? We know the recession is bad, but why is it hitting women harder?
Possible reasons include:
I read people's reactions to this information, blaming absent fathers. I don't think dead-beat dads are the only issue. If you haven't noticed, there is a recession going on, and there are plenty of married men and fathers who are unemployed - relying on women to support the family. The slippery slope of poverty is colorblind, and I've seen it happen to some of my white, college educated, professionally employed girlfriends.
Ways to Support Women's Well Being (Including Your Own):
Possible reasons include:
- CENSUS FACT: White women continue to receive only $0.77 for every dollar paid to our male counterparts. And women of color make as little as $0.57 for every dollar made by a man.
- CENSUS FACT: 1 in 5 women don't have health insurance, equating to a financial downturn if someone gets injured or sick, and/or prevents women from receiving reproductive healthcare, including birth control.
I read people's reactions to this information, blaming absent fathers. I don't think dead-beat dads are the only issue. If you haven't noticed, there is a recession going on, and there are plenty of married men and fathers who are unemployed - relying on women to support the family. The slippery slope of poverty is colorblind, and I've seen it happen to some of my white, college educated, professionally employed girlfriends.
Ways to Support Women's Well Being (Including Your Own):
- Negotiate better pay. Why are women afraid to do this? Men are not. If someone is offering you a job, they aren't going to NOT give it to you if you ask for more money because they clearly already want you to work for them. They will respect you if you ask properly. If you're up for your annual review, there is nothing wrong with asking for more money. Granted, many companies aren't giving raises right now, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Know you're worth.
- Support Family/Women's Health Clinics. Yes, that includes Planned Parenthood. These clinics are the lifeblood for people without insurance, not just places where abortions may be possible. The goal of reproductive rights organizations is to prevent unwanted pregnancies so abortions aren't necessary. Ever notice the irony of anti-choice folks are also not supporting Universal Healthcare? They want you to have your unwanted baby and then somehow pay for all the hospital bills, too.
- Vote for (Competent) Women who care about women's healthcare and fair pay. Women hold only 16.8% of the positions within the US Congress, and only 27% of them are women of color. See how your state ranks. How can we have government policies that reflect the needs of women when we don't have enough women in government to make the policies possible? Better yet, run for local office yourself! I say, elect "competent" women, as nominees like Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann set women's heath and human rights back decades.
- Take care of Grandma. The Census report shows twice as many women over 65 than men live in poverty. Pay it forward. Make sure grandma and grandpa are well taken care of. Plus, it's a good example to show your kids so they will care well for you someday.