In exploring why women are more likely to be poor, this article analyzes the unequal labor market structure, male-oriented social security policies, and patriarchic family structure, which are deeply embedded in gender inequalities and iscrimination against women. Large dismissal of women during the financial crisis in 1997~1998 and women’s difficulty in finding jobs under the recent economic recession have made women’s poverty as a serious policy issue in Korea. Even
though economic growth rate and unemployment rate have been recovered since 1999, the number of poor women has not decreased. Furthermore, the increase of the number of women in financial difficulties after divorce or family break-up makes the problem worse. Despite this acute policy need, seriousness of the situation as well as causes for women’s poverty have not been appropriately investigated yet. This article aims to provide a brief overview of “feminization of poverty” in Korea and to set up policy priorities for women’s depovertization. To cope with the issue of women’s poverty, this article suggests that social safety net needs to be strengthened and educational opportunities and social employment are to be widened in more “demandtailored” way. Such tailored poverty policies may contribute to the substantial ecrease in women’s poverty by providing them with minimum support to meet their daily needs.
|