Feminisation of poverty is a term that often goes unnoticed. Data from UN Women, UNDP, and the Pardee Center for International Futures estimate that 388 million women and girls live in extreme poverty globally, compared to 372 million men and boys. However, the situation could worsen significantly. In a “high-damage” scenario, the number of women and girls living in extreme poverty could rise to 446 million, while men and boys would reach 427 million.
The women’s poverty rate also stands at 12.8%, slightly higher than the male rate of 12.3%. This means that there are 104 women for every 100 men living in poor households. It is time we acknowledge that poverty doesn’t impact men and women in the same way.
The feminisation of poverty
In the 1970s, researcher Diana Pearce noticed that poverty was not gender-neutral. Through her research on gender and poverty in the United States, she introduced the term feminisation of poverty. It refers to the rising number of women, along with their children, who live in poverty. Women not only form a large share of the poor but also experience poverty more severely than men.
One can define poverty as the inability to meet a person’s basic biological, social, spiritual, and cultural needs. The term “feminisation of poverty” highlights the fact that women are the most vulnerable group in this context. Generally, women’s contributions to family, societal, and economic development are often underestimated and underpaid. Households led by women face a poverty risk that is one-third higher than that of other households. In fact, single mothers often experience poverty at levels similar to, or worse than, those in large families.
Today, over 1.5 billion people live on $1 a day or less. The majority are women. An estimated 383 million women and girls around the world live on less than USD 1.90 a day, while 368 million men and boys are in the same situation. Women tend to earn less, own fewer resources, and carry a heavier share of unpaid responsibilities. In many cases, they work in informal sectors without any legal protection or financial security. As a result, poverty traps women more severely and for longer periods.
Women of colour are most impacted by poverty
Of the women living in poverty, 345 million come from Asia and Africa. This highlights that the feminisation of poverty intersects with factors like race and ethnicity. Women from nearly all racial and ethnic backgrounds are more likely to experience poverty than their white counterparts. In the U.S., for example, 91.9% of women living in poverty are Black, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, or from other racial groups, while only 9% are white.
This significant difference shows that poverty affecting women is not only about how much money they make. It’s also about the extra challenges women face because of their race and ethnicity. Women, especially those from minority racial or ethnic groups, deal with not just financial struggles but also discrimination, limited opportunities, and societal expectations that make it harder for them to escape poverty.
Why the majority of the world’s poor are women?
There is a web of complex factors that disproportionately affect women and girls, keeping them trapped in poverty.
Low-paying jobs keep women behind
Many women are stuck in low-paying jobs. One in five women works in a job that pays less than the necessary living wage, meaning 2.9 million women are earning below what they need to live. This is much higher than the 1.9 million men in the same situation. Around the world, women earn 16% less than men on average for doing the same job. In places like Australia and New Zealand, the gap is as high as 19.3%.
The majority of poor people aged 25-54 are self-employed or not active in the labour force. While men make up a larger share of the self-employed poor, women represent a bigger share of the poor who are unpaid workers or not working at all.
Domestic violence adds to the feminisation of poverty
Women who live with abusive partners or family members face immense barriers to finding work. Abusers often use control tactics that limit a woman’s ability to leave the house, seek employment, or interact with others. If a woman does manage to find a job, the constant threat of violence may cause her to miss work due to injury, emotional distress, or fear.
In places like the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, 35% of women experience domestic violence. This violence leads to a loss of 3.7% in GDP because it stops women from fully joining the workforce.
Lack of support for working mothers
Less than one in five women return to full-time work within three years of having a child, and 17% of women leave the workforce entirely. Only 4% of men face this problem. The lack of paid leave and the heavy responsibility of caring for children fall primarily on mothers, which makes it harder for them to work and earn enough.
In many cases, women do not get the support they need to manage both their careers and their families, such as affordable childcare or flexible working hours. Without these options, working mothers are forced to leave their jobs or take part-time work, which offers lower pay and fewer chances for promotion.
“We talk about the glass ceiling for women, but rarely about the sinking floor beneath them. The feminisation of poverty is not just a statistic — it is a global design flaw that society chooses to ignore.” — Saransh Jain, Founder, Changeincontent.com
The final thoughts: Break the cycle of feminisation of poverty
Gender equality is the solution to the feminisation of poverty. When women and girls have the same opportunities as men, they can access better education, secure well-paying jobs, and participate fully in decision-making processes. However, gender equality addresses only part of the problem.
We must also confront deep-rooted economic, social, and cultural factors that keep women impoverished. Structural issues like unequal pay, limited access to credit, and the lack of affordable childcare continue to hold women back even when policies promote equal rights. We must help women to enter or re-enter the labour market. At the same time, make employers aware of the need to provide “equal pay for work of equal value.”
Only by approaching the issue from multiple angles can we truly address the feminisation of poverty.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content. We broadly define inclusivity as media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and marginalised individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
