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Women and Poverty Today. Democratic Socialists of America, DC November 15, 2012 – Updated 11/19/12. Heidi Hartmann President, IWPR Research Professor, GWU Editor, Journal of Women, Politics & Policy. www.iwpr.org.
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Women and Poverty Today Democratic Socialists of America, DCNovember 15, 2012 – Updated 11/19/12 Heidi Hartmann President, IWPR Research Professor, GWU Editor, Journal of Women, Politics & Policy www.iwpr.org
Men’s and Women’s Poverty Rates Track the Overall Unemployment Rate, 1966-2011 Source: US Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables (http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/historical/people.html, Table 7); Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat01.htm); US Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions (http://www.nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html)
New Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) shows higher poverty but trial SMP shows growth in poverty held down in the Great Recession by in-kind transfers such as Food Stamps. * Medical Out of Pocket Expenses subtracted from income; Geographic adjustment of thresholds; Thresholds recomputed using data from Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Married Couples and People without Children Tend To Have Lower Rates of Poverty
Which Public Programs Help Poor and Low-Income Women Most are Means-Tested • Earned Income Tax Credit (cash) • Food Stamps (non cash) • Medicaid (non cash) • Welfare (cash) • Pell Grants/Student Loans (cash) • Subsidized Child Care (non cash) • Subsidized Housing • Medicare and Social Security (universal, available to all)
What We Need • Stronger safety net (more welfare) • More subsidized childcare and housing • Paid family leave • Paid sick days/Temporary Disability Insurance • Equal Pay/EEO/Collective Bargaining/Higher Minimum Wage • More help with Career Training/Higher Education • Cash: basic income grant; negative income tax