Gender Inequality Worsens Hunger and Poverty

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A new analysis by Bread for the World Institute shows that gender
inequality plays a significant role in hunger and poverty, both in the
U.S. and globally. The Institute analyzes the obstacles women face in
trying to feed their families and pull themselves out of poverty.

“Our analysis shows that discrimination increases hunger and poverty for
women,” said Asma Lateef, director of Bread for the World Institute.
“Women earn less than men for doing the same job. They bear the burden
of unpaid responsibilities such as housework and cooking and are the
primary caregivers in their families. And women are more likely than men
to spend additional income on their children’s health and education.”

In the United States, the median annual pay of full-time, year-round
female workers is more than $10,000 less than the pay of male workers.
Working single mothers are twice as likely as men to hold low-wage
and/or part-time jobs with few or no benefits. Working mothers with
children under 18 report that the gender pay gap contributes to poor
living conditions, poor nutrition, and fewer opportunities for their
children.

Globally, about 60 percent of people who go hungry are female. Nearly
half a billion women and girls do not have access to the nutritious food
they need for healthy, active lives. Women do work that is essential to
the resilience of their families and communities and to their countries’
economic growth. But this unpaid work takes time away from working
outside the home or getting an education. More needs to be done to share
these responsibilities and support women’s ability to work – and, when a
woman is working, to ensure that she earns as much as her male
counterpart.

“While we have made significant inroads by closing the gender gap in
health and education outcomes, we still have a long way to go,” Lateef
said. “Evidence shows that we will not be able to end hunger and poverty
until we reach gender equality.”

Download Women’s Empowerment: Why Does It Matter to Ending Hunger? at
www.bread.org/library/womens-empowerment-and-hunger-fact-sheet

Bread for the World (www.bread.org)
is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to
end hunger at home and abroad.

Contacts

Bread for the World
Chris Ford, 520-904-0415
cford@bread.org