10 Outline and explain two ways in which poverty amongst women may be caused by their experience of work.
AQA
A Level
2024
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Poverty amongst Women and Work
This essay will explore two key ways in which women's experiences of work contribute to poverty. Firstly, it will examine the impact of gendered occupational segregation, highlighting how women are overrepresented in low-paid, precarious work, which often lacks benefits and opportunities for advancement. Secondly, the essay will explore the challenges women face in balancing work and family responsibilities, arguing that these pressures can lead to reduced employment opportunities, lower earnings, and ultimately, higher rates of poverty.
1. Gendered Occupational Segregation and Poverty
Women are more likely than men to be concentrated in low-paid, routine non-manual jobs such as care work, cleaning, and retail. This pattern, known as 'gendered occupational segregation', is rooted in historical and cultural factors that perpetuate traditional gender roles and limit women's access to higher-paying, skilled professions.
The consequences of occupational segregation are significant:
- Low wages: Women in these sectors typically earn less than men, even in similar roles.
- Precarious employment: Jobs in these sectors often lack benefits such as sick pay, maternity leave, and pensions, leaving women vulnerable to financial insecurity.
- Limited opportunities for advancement: These jobs rarely provide opportunities for promotion or career progression, meaning women are less likely to earn higher wages in the long term.
2. The Work-Family Balance and Poverty
Women's experiences of family life can have a significant impact on their employment opportunities and earnings.
The following factors contribute to this challenge:
- Care responsibilities: Women are disproportionately responsible for childcare, housework, and elder care, which can limit their ability to work full-time or even part-time.
- Gendered expectations: Social norms often place a greater burden on women to prioritize family over career.
- Discrimination: Women may face discrimination in the workplace due to assumptions about their commitment to work, leading to less access to promotions or job opportunities.
- Lack of affordable childcare: The high costs of childcare can make it financially impossible for some women to return to work or work full-time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay has demonstrated how the experiences of work contribute to poverty amongst women. The combination of gendered occupational segregation and the challenges of balancing work and family responsibilities create a complex web of factors that limit women's economic opportunities and leave them vulnerable to financial hardship.
Addressing these issues requires a combination of policy interventions, including:
- Policies to reduce gendered occupational segregation, such as targeted training programs and affirmative action measures.
- Measures to support women's participation in the labor force, such as affordable childcare, flexible working arrangements, and adequate maternity leave.
- Action to address discrimination against women in the workplace, including anti-discrimination laws and fair hiring practices.
Poverty Amongst Women: The Impact of Work Experiences
Poverty amongst women is a complex issue influenced by a multitude of factors, including societal structures, cultural norms, and individual circumstances. Examining the relationship between women's experiences in the workforce and their susceptibility to poverty reveals two significant contributing factors: occupational segregation and the unequal burden of caregiving responsibilities.
Occupational Segregation and its Impact
Occupational segregation refers to the concentration of women in specific industries and occupations, often characterized by lower wages and fewer opportunities for advancement. Women are overrepresented in sectors like care work, cleaning, and administrative roles, which are frequently classified as routine non-manual work. These jobs tend to offer lower pay, fewer benefits, and limited job security compared to occupations dominated by men.
The reasons behind this segregation are multifaceted. Traditional gender roles play a significant part, shaping societal expectations of women's "natural" suitability for certain types of work, often those perceived as nurturing or requiring less technical skill. This limits women's access to higher-paying, male-dominated fields like STEM and leadership positions. Furthermore, the structure of many organizations, with their emphasis on long, uninterrupted work histories for promotion, disadvantages women who experience career breaks due to caregiving responsibilities.
The Unequal Burden of Caregiving
Women disproportionately bear the responsibility of unpaid caregiving, looking after children, elderly relatives, or family members with disabilities. This societal expectation significantly impacts their participation in the workforce and contributes to their higher poverty rates. Women may face challenges finding work that offers flexibility to accommodate their caregiving duties. They may be forced to work part-time or accept lower-paying jobs that allow for irregular hours, impacting their earning potential and career progression.
Additionally, the time constraints imposed by caregiving can hinder women from pursuing further education or training opportunities, limiting their ability to upskill and access higher-paying jobs. This creates a vicious cycle where women are stuck in low-paying, insecure work due to their caregiving commitments, further increasing their risk of poverty.
Conclusion
The experience of work for many women is intricately linked to their vulnerability to poverty. Occupational segregation confines them to lower-paying jobs with limited prospects, while the unequal burden of caregiving restricts their ability to fully participate in the workforce and advance their careers. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, including challenging traditional gender roles, promoting equal access to education and training, and providing affordable, quality childcare options. By dismantling the structural barriers that perpetuate gender inequalities in the workforce, we can create a more equitable society and alleviate the disproportionate burden of poverty experienced by women.
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Gender Inequality in the Labour Market
Women are disproportionately affected by poverty due to a number of factors stemming from gender inequality in the labour market. These include:
• Women are more likely to engage in routine non-manual work which may result in poverty. This type of work often offers lower pay and fewer benefits, making it difficult for women to achieve financial security.
• Women may experience challenges finding work due to family commitments. This includes caring responsibilities for children, elderly relatives, or other family members. Employers may perceive women as less reliable or less committed to their jobs, leading to discrimination.
• Women have less access to employment benefits and pension funds than men. This is partly due to the gender pay gap, which means women earn less than men over their lifetimes. Women are also more likely to work part-time or in temporary jobs, which often lack benefits.
• Women are more likely to have gaps in employment which affects promotions at work. These gaps may be due to maternity leave, childcare responsibilities, or caring for sick family members. Employers may view these gaps negatively, leading to missed opportunities for advancement.
• Women are marginalised from the labour market due to traditional gender roles. In many societies, women are still expected to be primarily responsible for domestic work and childcare. This can make it difficult for women to find and keep paid employment.
• Lone parent families are mainly headed by women affecting time available to work. Single mothers often face significant challenges balancing work and childcare responsibilities. This can lead to reduced working hours, lower wages, and an increased risk of poverty.