Thursday, August 20th, 2009 - No comments

The Dirty Little Secret of Global Poverty

In a recent New York Times Magazine article by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn entitled, “Saving the World’s Women” the writers convincingly delineate the marginalization of women in developing countries as the dominant barrier to economic development and geopolitical crisis. In fact, they cite “the brutality inflicted on so many women and girls around the globe: sex trafficking, acid attacks, bride burnings and mass rape,” as the “paramount moral challenge” of our time. Admit that, the authors implicitly say, and you have opened the door to a sparklingly opportunity. That is, if this dire challenge is recognized and addressed then countries previously plagued by poverty and extremism will have purchased their ticket to progress.

As stated, several links were drawn within the story between the advancement of women and development progress. Perhaps one of the most personally striking observations to me however, as an obstacle to development, was the distinction made between the spending habits of women relative to men:

One reason involves the dirty little secret of global poverty: some of the most wretched suffering is caused not just by low incomes but also by unwise spending by the poor — especially by men.

Citing a study of MIT economist, Esther Duflo that charts the spending habits of male and female farmers in the Ivory Coast, the authors note that a financially lucrative harvest for men results in more money spent on alcohol and tobacco. In contrast, a good yield for women means more money spent on food, and correspondingly, an improvement to child health and nutrition. The writers cite this fact as impetus for government and donor reform movements with respect to economic opportunity, inheritance law, as well as the increase of microfinancing schemes geared specifically to women.

Beyond governments however, I believe this gender differential is a significant point to emphasize within a community and to its members, both women and men. As a proven, documented fact, the weight of the implication—food or cigarettes—goes beyond community gossip circles, and through the pigeonhole of the home. For poor families, spending habits are not just domestic issues; they are the difference between hunger and nutrition, sick and healthy, home and street.

So, if women as breadwinners, by virtue of their financial prudence, have the potential to affect this reality, it would not only lead to their empowerment but the well-being of their families, communities and countries. The consequence of proper spending habits is a message that must be systematically translated, not just to governments but on the ground– to both women and men in poor communities. Comprehensive education and awareness programs for both men and women that encourage and support a women’s right to work (and correspondingly their equal status in society), as well as sound domestic budgeting decisions and are vital to development success.

The views expressed in this blog-post are solely those of the author.