We have chosen “Women Poverty in Ontario” as a social issue to do our research project. Our professor, has approved our proposal to carry out the research and further, we would investigate on our research and will state our ideas in this paper. As per the research conducted, most of the books, journals, and articles stated the definition of poverty as “the state of being poor”. When we apply this definition to women poverty, it can be restated as “the state of being extremely poor”. In simple terms, women poverty is the lack of resources for living life without basic necessities. There are various social indicators that measure women poverty which itself becomes the major causes such as literacy, health care, differential wages, number or % of single mothers getting married, prostitution, and unemployment.
This topic is very important to our team as we would like to find out why women are suffering in all parts of the world. The social indicators stated above are some common root problems that most of the women face in whole world as a whole. According to a publication by United Nations Development Programme “70% of the world’s poor are women”. This is way too much to the growth and progress that human mankind have achieved. Even though none of these women are related to us, but they may be connected with so many other people everywhere in the form of a mother, sister, daughter, and a wife; and therefore, we cannot see any discrimination or inequalities against them.
This topic relates very well to the material taught in GNED500. We can reconnect it to Chapter:3 Undertaking Social Analysis: The roots of Change; where we were taught about the root causes of social problems. Therefore, here, we try to analyze and understand the root causes of women poverty and recommend our views to solve it. We research in depth and develop ideas to resolve this social issue with various techniques and strategies.
Research on Social Action Initiatives
FEDERAL POVERTY REDUCTION PLAN: WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS
REDUCING POVERTY IN CANADA
This plan was submitted in November 2010 by Candice Hoeppner, MP. Most of the women who suffered due to poverty as they were exposed to low incomes. “In 2008, 18 to 64 years of age experienced a higher rate of low income (10.7%) than those under 18 years (8.8%). (Hoeppner Candice, 2010). Some key highlights on the policies aimed for Ontario are:
• Ontario government sets the target to reduce the number of kids living in poverty by 25% over the next 5 years. (Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, 2008)
• Additional monetary support to be given to help low-income families provide basic necessities of life like food, clothing, and affordable home for their children.
• To enhance employment and training programs.
• Separate committee to see the track and progress of poverty eradication in Ontario.
Strengths of Federal Poverty Reduction Plan:
Ontario government introduced concept of “Smarter Government” which states to spend money on tactics that would directly result or impact in a better way of living. Focused on having strong and healthy families to eradicate poverty. Policies aiming at children to provide them facilities and resources at very early age. Government to invest specifically in policy that will benefit children as they feel the return of investment earned is higher.
Weaknesses of Federal Poverty Reduction Plan:
Lack of accountability framework. This plan is not directed specifically to challenge the core issues and problems that women face in Ontario. There is no specific policy targeted or aimed at reducing the women poverty. All the recommendations in the report consist to target the general poverty as a whole which includes men and women. The Ontario Deprivation Index measures families living in poverty if they fail to get two or more items out of a list of ten. Some of these items are eating fresh fruit and vegetables, and having proper clothes for