Women

Women’s entry into the workforce has been one of the most significant economic trends of the century. As women gain financial independence and fulfill their economic potential, GDP rises and poverty goes down. Despite this substantial progress, women still do not have equal economic standing. American women are more likely to be poor than men, and the gap in poverty rates between men and women is wider in the United States than it is anywhere else in the Western world. Women of color, elderly women and single mothers are especially at risk of living in poverty. Women are typically tracked into lower-paying occupations, and even when doing the same jobs, women – and particularly women of color – continue to be paid less than their male counterparts. This section of the Spotlight website gathers the latest research, news and opinion on women and poverty.