The Feminization of Poverty

Since we celebrated International Women’s Day this month, I would like to reflect on what World Renew is and could be doing more to achieve the third Millennium Development Goal: “to promote gender equality and empower women.”

One visit that showed me the horrific impact of poverty on women occurred during a trip to Rukungiri District, Uganda. There I met a woman who was grinding some millet on a stone. She had three children next to her, all less than 5 years old, two of them also grinding with smaller stones. As she told me her story, my heart wrenched. Her husband was abusive and frequently drunk. Even though her doctor strongly advised her to not have any more children due to problems with a prolapsed uterus and severe bleeding, her husband insisted that they have more. Here she was, about eight months pregnant, not sure if she would survive the next birth. She had no money for any special medical treatment, not even for basic needs like soap, cooking oil, shoes, or clothes. She could not leave her husband and live with her parents because they had already sold or eaten the cows that her husband paid for dowry. She owned no land or other property. She was terrified that her husband would beat her to death if she went to a church or government office for help. She felt completely trapped in her impoverished and unjust situation.

It is this reality that compels World Renew to share God’s love in ways that help women overcome their circumstances.

It is this reality that compels World Renew to share God’s love in ways that help women overcome their circumstances. Women like this are the reason that we promote gender justice in our work with partners and programs, whether in community development or in disaster response. It is important to address systemic issues in gender equality such as violence against women and their lack of access to land ownership. What have we found most helpful in this work? In some places, worldview training helps men and women understand their God-given value as His image bearers so that they begin to treat each other with more dignity and respect. With some partners, we support programs that reduce domestic violence and teach women skills for obtaining land titles. As we track the involvement of men and women in decision-making, it is encouraging to see greater equality between genders in the governance of local development committees and partner boards. In disaster response programs, we prioritize women to receive and manage food and other resources to ensure that whole families benefit.

A recent story from Margaret Njuguna with World Renew in Tanzania explained how economic development helps women and their families reduce poverty. Two years ago, Mary (not her real name) lived in a chicken coop with her husband, two children, and 200 chickens. But, with training that she and her village savings group received from World Renew’s partner, the Mennonite Church, she learned to save and use communal loans to expand her chicken business and buy bricks to build her dream house. Recently, she shared the joyful news that she is going to move into her new home very soon! We thank God for the commitment of our staff and partners in making a significant difference in de-feminizing poverty.

Blessings in Christ,