Women and poverty in America
70% of the Nation’s Poor are Women & Children
Despite composing nearly half of the workforce, women account for 60 percent of the nation’s lowest paid workers. The salaries for the vast majority of jobs held by women, in industries such as retail and hospitality, are consistently lower than in traditionally male career paths, such as construction, engineering, and energy. For this reason, Legal Momentum is working to expand women’s pathways into non-traditional work, which promises stronger salaries, stable benefits, and a pathway from poverty to prosperity.
gender continues to be a barrier and is affecting health
Connecting the gender pay gap to health.
The gender pay gap is getting worse! "The earnings lost as a result of the pay gap have meant women have had fewer opportunities to make ends meet, let alone save for emergencies or retirement.
Racial and gender discrimination have contributed to a system that has long undervalued and underpaid women. Biases exist at all stages of employment — from hiring and performance reviews to layoffs. The pandemic exposed the barriers that have prevented women and caregivers from participating in the workforce. A lack of supports — such as paid sick leave and family leave — and high child care costs placed additional burdens on women. This was especially true for those with low incomes and women of color – the two groups least likely to receive employer-provided benefits.
The gaps remain despite women’s educational gains; women have made up the majority of the college-educated population for more than 40 years. In addition, women have been segregated into lower-paying sectors such as service, education and health care. Yet even in these industries, men earn more than women for equal work. The wage gap widens as women attain higher levels of education and advance to more senior positions."