Feminization of Poverty

While this blog is likely to reflect my own varied interests and passions within the realm of human rights, I did say that it would in part focus on the feminization of poverty. Well, what does that phrase even mean? How can the terms 'feminzation; and 'poverty' be defined? The following link to a one page, generally accessible document from a blog maintained by the Growth and Crisis program of the World Bank Institute gives a succinct outline of what the phrase means, jargon that will likely come up several times as we continue to explore the concept.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/growth/feminization-poverty

While the one page overview maybe somewhat of a dry read for those not personally invested or connected to the issue of trends and patterns in poverty, it does lay a foundation for discussion to begin building upon. The question the overview seems to end with though, is at the end of the day who has the power to do something about it, to make the terms and definitions discussed more than just words on a page or screen? More than that, who is willing to work to make the terms and definitions discussed more than just words on a page or screen? The authors suggest that policy makers around the world should feel compelled, as expressed in the following quote:

"The feminization of poverty combines two morally unacceptable phenomena: poverty and gender inequalities. It thus deserves special attention from policymakers in determining the allocation of resources to pro-gender equity or anti-poverty measures."

But really, how much do policymakers care? How in touch are they with the daily lives of their constituents? These and other questions like these have been in the back of my mind the more I realize how concentrated power in our society really is. A few weeks ago I had the privilege to go to the Round House in Santa Fe, home to New Mexico's policy makers. Before going up state, I knew cognitively that policy makers and the legislature they enacted not only had a very real effect on me and people like me, sisters, brothers, daughters, mothers, fathers, social workers, nurses, receptionists, construction workers, bartenders, etc, but I did not really have a concept of how these policy makers were also sisters, brothers, daughters, etc. Seeing first hand some of the most powerful people in our state laughing, talking, joking, making mistakes, and having quirks reminded me how these people are human too. Somehow this realization made the whole process seem less far away, more accessible, and more pertinent. Ultimately, it gave me hope. While I once (and sometimes still do) would have been more than a little hesitant to wonder about how much to invest in policymakers when it comes to such grave issues as the feminization of poverty, this experience challenged me to reconsider. As such, I truly hope that the terms, phrases, and definitions will continue to be discussed in blogs, newsletters, classrooms, coffee shops, and living room sofas.