In 1989 two-thirds or the poor female population in the
USA were under 18 (37 percent) or 65 years and over (30 percent)
Highest poverty rate in females is 5 years old. The Poverty
rate for females 75 years and older is 17.3 percent compared
to 10.1 per cent for males the same age.
In the past decade the number of women living in poverty
has increased disproportionately to the number of men, particularly
in the developing countries. In addition to economic factors,
the rigidity of socially ascribed gender roles and women's limited
access to power, education, training and productive resources
. . . are also responsible....While poverty affects households
as a whole, because of the gender division of labour and responsibilities
for household welfare, women bear a disproportionate burden,
attempting to manage household consumption and production under
conditions of increasing scarcity.
--Beijing Platform for Action,
paragraphs 48 and 50
Today over 1.2 billion people live on less than one dollar
a day. And a majority of the world's absolute poor are female.
Worldwide, women on average earn slightly more than 50 percent
of what men are earning. Poverty is particularly destructive
of women's health, especially their reproductive and sexual
health: women and girls are often the last to eat; women’s
health problems are considered less important than other family
priorities; girls may be sold into prostitution; and mothers
sometimes are forced to sell their bodies just to be able to
feed their children.
"Worldwide,
women on average earn slightly more than 50% of what men are
earning."
These statistics show
us who needs our help and that we must help our sisters.
