Women are the Key to Eradicating Poverty
Some key facts:
According to the The U.N. Population Fund,
“(W)omen on average earn slightly more than 50 percent of what men are earning, while women and girls are often the last to eat, and women’s health problems are considered less important than other family priorities.”
In addition,
“UNIFEM notes that among the factors that place women at risk of poverty are their unequal access to resources and capabilities, such as education, skills, land and property, the discrimination they face in the labour market and their lack of political voice. In all countries, women do most of the unpaid household and care work — yet this work is not counted as contributing to national economies. “The Economist [magazine] estimates that over the past decade, women’s work worldwide has done even more to fuel the global economy than has the stunning growth of China,” said Joanne Sandler, UNIFEM’s acting executive director.”
“”Women are indeed the missing piece of the poverty puzzle,” agreed Christine Grumm, president and CEO of the Women’s Funding Network, a U.S.-based group that mobilises private donors and foundations to support a range of initiatives for women and girls, including programmes to help women start businesses, leave violent homes, gain access to health care, raise their self-esteem, and advocate for fair public policies.
While the network has raised more than 400 million dollars over the last 15 years, it notes that just seven percent of all philanthropic dollars overall are earmarked for programmes for women and girls.”
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