Feminization Of Poverty In America Since The 1960s

Feminization of poverty appears as a relatively new social problem in America. In the past, when the family bond was tight, women seemed no poorer than their male counterparts. However, drastic changes in the family structure since the 1960s have brought about more and more female-headed households, exposing these women to fierce economic competitions all alone by themselves. Major groups of poor women are unmarried mothers, separated, divorced or widowed mothers and aged women. Black women suffer double jeopardy of gender and racial discrimination and are therefore even more likely than their white counterparts to fall into poverty. Although rise in female-headed families comes hand in hand with feminization of poverty, it is not the root of the problem. The genuine cause of women's susceptibility to poverty is lingering gender prejudice and discrimination which disadvantages women in the labor force and shrinks their earning capacity.The US government has been testing various welfare programs to help relieve the problem of feminization of poverty. However, due to prevailing individualistic spirits of the nation, welfare in the United States has always been means-tested and niggardly; it can in no way keep women from the affliction of poverty. To truly confront the problem, the US government needs to help women until they can help themselves. On the one hand, more rigid laws should be enforced and a more effective monitoring system be put in place to deter and check gender prejudice and discrimination. On the other hand, more generous government assistance should be given to enhance the elevation and empowerment of poor women. Women themselves also need to seize every opportunity to fulfill self-improvement and actively participate in legislative process to exert influence on the society as a whole. Feminization of poverty has presented itself as a tough and thorny issue to the American society and it is still growing. Both women and the US government and other private institutions need to take effective measures to curb this trend before it reaches epidemic proportions.