Women in the Global South experience a disproportionate burden of poverty, shaped by structural inequalities, limited access to resources, and traditional gender norms. Across many regions, women face barriers to education, employment, land ownership, and financial services, which restrict their economic mobility and reinforce cycles of poverty. Policy and practice recognize these disparities, yet gaps remain in addressing the intersection of gender with class, geography, and social exclusion. Transformative strategies, like gender-responsive policymaking, inclusive economic systems, and investments in women’s empowerment, dismantle systemic inequities and create paths toward sustainable development. By centering women’s experiences and leadership, these approaches may further promote social and economic resilience. The Feminization of Poverty in the Global South: Policy, Practice, and Transformative Strategies explores the feminization of poverty, a phenomenon describing the persistent over-representation of women among the world’s poor. It examines how structural inequalities, patriarchal social norms, and exclusionary economic systems work together to create gendered patterns of deprivation in the Global South. This book covers topics such as gender inequality, labor markets, and human rights, and is a useful resource for economists, sociologists, policymakers, academicians, researchers, and scientists.
