Poverty issues for Canadian women Background Paper

Poverty is still very much a women's issue. While there have been improvements in the past decade or so, women are still more likely than men to be living in low income. But statistics on low income do not tell the full story of women's poverty. While governments and advocacy groups redouble their efforts to "make poverty history", the United Nations has suggested that poverty cannot be eradicated unless we adopt a more comprehensive view of poverty- one that recognizes poverty is more than a shortage of income. As the United Nations describes it, poverty is "the denial of opportunities and choices most basic to human development- to lead a long, healthy, creative life and to enjoy a decent standard of living, freedom, dignity, self-esteem, and the respect of others. " 1 The social exclusion many women face as a result of gender inequalities is detrimental not only to women themselves, but to their families and their communities. Successful anti-poverty strategies must deal with issues related to women's low status and lack of empowerment.2 Lack of access to education or affordable housing, for example, may mean women cannot participate as full and equal members of society. Women's economic inequality and lack of income may restrict their ability to leave violent domestic situations and to protect themselve