Gender, Power, and Poverty

© Oxfam photo- Anonymous, Sudan

Poverty has a Woman’s Face

© Oxfam photo Geoff Sayar, Tanzania

There are more women living in poverty than men.

Women’s poverty is more severe than men’s.

There is a trend towards greater poverty among women, especially women with children.

The Majority of the World’s Poor are Women

Oxfam photo Mongkhonsawat Luengvorapant, Thailand

Approximately 70 per cent of the 1.5 billion people who live in extreme poverty, on less than one dollar a day, are women and girls.

Reasons for Women’s Poverty

1. Lack of access to resources

2. Lower rates of education

3. Less representation in the government

4. Physical or sexual abuse

5. Unpaid work

6. Decrease in maternal life expectancy

© Afghanistan - Parwin, ACBAR

Lack of Resources

© Oxfam photo, Pakistan- Thuri park IDP camp

Women do 66 per cent of the world's work yet earn only 5 per cent of the world's income and own less than 1 per cent of the world's real property.

Women often lack resources that might help them get out of poverty. This includes lack of access to capital, land, and borrowing opportunities.

Limited Education

Girls are less educated than boys in most of the world.

Fifty-seven per cent of the 72 million children who do not attend primary school are girls.

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© Oxfam photo Gilvan Barreto, Honduras

Under representation

© Oxfam photo Annie Bungeroth, Guatemala

Women hold only 18.4 per cent of sets in national assemblies worldwide and hold between 8 to 28 per cent of ministerial posts.

Only 22 countries have met the UN target of 30 per cent female decision-makers

Physical and Sexual Abuse

Globally, 1 in 5 women has experienced physical or sexual violence by a male.

Among women aged15 -44 years, gender-based violence accounts for more death and disability than the combined effects of cancer, malaria, traffic injuries and war.

© Oxfam photo- David Levele, Somaliland

Unpaid Work

Women tend to earn less than men and work in lower-wage jobs.

The world gender-pay gap is 16 cents, which means for every $1 earned by men, women earn 16 cents less.

© Oxfam photo Jane Beesley, Kenya

© Oxfam photo- Nicola Ward, Malawi

Poor Maternal Health

The lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy and childbirth in Africa is 1 in 22

In Asia it is 1 in 120

In developed countries, it is 1 in 7,300

© Oxfam photo- Alixandra Fazzina, Afghanistan

In Nova Scotia

Much of women's work is unpaid. Women perform the majority of unpaid caregiving work in Canada.

This caring work is valued at $319 billion to the Canadian economy each year.

© NS Advisory Council on the Status of Women

In Canada

The average Canadian man puts in 831 hours per year of unpaid work while the average Canadian woman puts in 1,483 hours per year.

This caring work is valued at $319 billion to the Canadian economy each year.