Commission on the Status of Women
The Feminization of Poverty
Topic Description
Welcome to the Commission on the Status of Women! Part of the Economic and Social Council and Regional Bodies, the work of the CSW centers around global policy-making dedicated to gender equality and the overall advancement of women. This year, this committee will discuss a very pressing issue that face women worldwide: the feminization of poverty. The feminization of poverty refers to the increased prevalence of poverty among women and female-headed households as compared to men and male-headed households.
The term does not refer to a static state, but rather a relative concept grounded in a comparison between women and men. Economic and global crises can exacerbate this phenomenon. When families are forced to cut back on goods and services, women must adapt their schedule to take on added responsibilities and must work to minimize the hardship as much as possible for the rest of the family. When families have fewer resources, women and girls are expected to allow men and boys to have access to what supplies they do have. The access of women and girls to food and medicine decreases significantly during periods of economic turmoil, as they often give the limited supplies to their husbands and male children. This leads to malnutrition that disproportionately affects women and girls. Finally, with unemployed women more dependent on their husbands and with the family burdened with a high level of anxiety, instances of domestic violence and sexual violence also increase during periods of financial stress. Domestic violence and sexual violence not only harm women physically but also perpetuates the inferior, dependent position of women in most societies and causes permanent psychological damage and rising HIV levels. Finally, the governments of developed and developing countries alike have instituted spending policies that have disproportionately hurt the interests of women. Delegates in this committee are tasked with critically examining the current global landscape and formulating effective policy solutions to address the feminization of poverty, with particular attention to the most vulnerable populations.
Dhriti Vadlakonda - Director
Dhriti Vadlakonda is a junior concentrating in Engineering Sciences. Dhriti started all things Model UN her freshman year of college and has found so much joy in organizing Harvard’s MUN conferences! She’s previously served as Under-Secretary-General of Business at HMUN Boston & Chair/Director at HMUN Boston, HNMUN Boston, and HMUN India, and cannot WAIT to direct again at HMUN Dubai this coming January! She cannot wait to meet you all <3 Outside of MUN, Dhriti dances with Harvard Ghungroo, sings acapella with the Radcliffe Pitches, and conducts patient outcomes research at MGH!