THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF POVERTY- FEMININST

Basic Assumptions

• Poverty is high among female parents and elderly widows due to gender inequalities and household structures.

• Women often balance caregiving responsibilities with low-paying jobs.

• Three main explanations for female poverty in the Caribbean:

  1. The Legacy of the Plantation

  2. The Nature of the Labour Market

  3. The Feminization of Poverty

1. The Legacy of the Plantation – Beckford (1972) & Brown (2007)

• Caribbean society has a high rate of female-headed single-parent families.

• The poorest women tend to have the largest number of children, start childbearing early, and have multiple births.

• Many poor women have children outside formal marriage.

• These trends are remnants of the plantation system, leading to intergenerational poverty.

2. The Nature of the Labour Market – Barron & Norris (1976)

• The labor market has two sectors:

  • Primary sector: Highly paid professionals with job security and benefits.

  • Secondary sector: Unskilled, low-paid, casual employment with low career prospects.

• Women dominate the secondary sector because:

  • It offers part-time employment, which allows them to manage caregiving roles.

  • However, it makes them more vulnerable to poverty.

• Women in the Caribbean service sector face additional challenges:

  • Low wages

  • No union protection

  • Jobs requiring fewer skills

  • Higher risk of exploitation, oppression, and sexual harassment

3. The Feminization of Poverty – Lister (2004) & Dina Pearce

• Women are increasingly overrepresented in poverty statistics.

• Reasons for increased female poverty:

  • More women in the labor force.

  • Increase in single-parent families.

  • Higher divorce rates.

  • More women making independent life choices.

• Hidden Poverty:

  • In two-adult households, men control most of the income.

  • Women prioritize children’s and partner’s needs over their own.

  • Women often sacrifice their diet, clothing, and personal needs to provide for their families.

Criticisms of the Feminist Perspective

• The theory implies that most Caribbean women are in low-paying jobs, but this is not always true.

• Recent improvements:

  • More women have gained access to education and professional careers.

  • Government programs (e.g., planned parenthood) have helped reduce birth rates among lower-class women.