Women and Children in Poverty - Global Conventions On The Rights Of Women And Children, Progress Toward International Goals, The Feminization Of Poverty

Women are poorer than men because they are often denied equal rights and opportunities, lack access to assets, and do not have the same entitlements as men. They also carry the burden of reproductive and care work and represent the majority of unpaid labour.

—United Nations Development Program, Gender and Poverty Reduction

The quality of a child's life depends on decisions made every day in households, communities and in the halls of government…. As children go, so go nations. It's that simple.

—UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy

Virtually all groups that study poverty—from international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank to small local charities—agree that the most effective way to reduce it is to improve the social, economic, and political situation of women and, by extension, children. Women's levels of health, education, and security reflect those of their families. When a mother suffers the effects of poverty, future generations of her family do as well, creating a cycle of impoverishment from which it is very difficult to escape.