In America, I am considered to be a “middle-class” citizen. I grew up in a comfortable home where dinner on the table and several cars in the driveway were the norm. I viewed my education as an obligation, not a privilege, and my minimum wage job as a hassle, not a lifeline. My parents worked full-time jobs and paid for me to attend private school. We never saw ourselves as rich, by any means; we were just comfortable.
Needless to say, I have never experienced life below the poverty line. I have never applied for food stamps or been evicted from my home. I have never had to walk to school because I didn’t have any transportation of my own. Looking back on my upbringing, I feel enormously lucky. My daily life appears gluttonous compared to the lives of so many Americans. In the safety of the “bubble,” my parents worked so hard to build around me, I never saw what life was like for the 100 million Americans on the brink of poverty, of which women and children account for nearly 70 percent.
According to "The Atlantic" (2014), women account for two-thirds of the minimum wage workforce in America, and the gender as a whole earns a mere 77 percent of what men do. The days when women were bred to be housewives seem like a distant memory, as 40 percent of households now rely on women as their primary income source. Studies have shown that the majority of women wish they had made better financial decisions, focused on their education and careers more, and postponed milestones such as marriage and having children. Women have strayed away from their abased stereotype to become independent providers. However, while this cultural movement is admirable, it has caused millions of women to fall victim to the tangles of poverty.
As poverty seems to be apropos to womanhood, many women succumb to the vicious lifestyle because they simply do not see a way out. Poverty leaves many women feeling exhausted, hopeless, and anything but empowered. What women don’t realize, however, is how powerful they are as a demographic. According to "The Atlantic" (2014), women account for nearly 70 percent of the nation’s consumer decisions, 80 percent of healthcare decisions, and the majority of the voting capacity. So yes, women DO have a say; it's a matter of whether or not they'll raise their voices.
The solution to eliminating poverty in America will not be a simple one. It's going to take lots of courage and gusto from the nation's women, but if we all join together, it can be possible. History itself proves that if a woman wants something done, she better do it herself. Recall Rosa Park's bold stand against discrimination and Susan B. Anthony's passionate fight for women's suffrage. These women didn't tend to the crockpot in the kitchen, mindlessly passing by their days; they were go-getters. They didn't take "no" for an answer, and they fought for what they believed in.
If these women were to give advice to modern-day women, I'm sure they would say something along the lines of "raise some hell, ladies." These and so many more women who've come before us exemplify what it means to be a woman. These women proved that a woman is strong, capable, determined, and worthy of the same rights as any man. The same sensuality and sensitivity that was once a woman's downfall can become her salvation. The world suspires a woman's opinion, and it is every woman's duty to supply just that.
Poverty continues to stifle a large portion of the American female population. It is the American citizen's duty to understand the causes and effects of this poverty-stricken society, and to take bold steps in eradicating this lifestyle. To be able to provide for oneself is a fundamental component of dignity that should not be denied to any individual- man or woman.
