Jennifer Dao

Taylor
English 1A
16 September 2014
Poorly Treated
Society has always downtrodden women based on societal, religious, or cultural beliefs.
Even in this modern day, it is common to see women collectively put down and refused equal
pay, education, and respect. Even in civilized countries, this mindset still exists. A common issue
with women is that this gender group is likelier to become impoverished because of societal
factors. In places such as India, China, and Afghanistan, women are not valued as much as men
in the workforce, resulting in greater rates of poverty. Poverty and gender can be directly related,
as shown by the treatment of perfectly capable women in these countries.
Indias cultural beliefs, largely based on superstition and misogyny, creates a burden for
the women living within. According to Kiran Sharma, With male-selective migration from rural
areas on the increase, women are often left behind to take care of both family and farm on their
own [...] wages being unfavourable to women in general and access to financial, technical and
other support services being denied to them, the poor nutritional status of the rural population is
common. In this society, men are seen are more valuable, as women are seen as simply add-ons
and caretakers of the family. As a result, in the workforce, the women are denied many rights
given to men, resulting in a much greater likelihood of poverty. In fact, poverty is characterized a
feminine, as stated by Sharma, because of the overwhelming representation of women among
the poor. In India, the tradition is to have the males inherit the property and family name,
whereas women were given away in marriage. This was to the loss of the family, as they would
need to pay the husbands family a very expensive dowry to send her away. In this backward
country, it is unfortunate that women face greater discrimination, less opportunities, and a much
greater possibility of becoming poor or homeless.
Chinas unequal treatment of women in the educational system and workforce accounts
for poverty among their female population compared to male population. One report by the
Department for International Development (DFID) notes some important statistics. Illiteracy and
lack of education are concentrated among women and girls. 55 million women constitute 65% of Chinas
85 million illiterate or semi-illiterate people. Besides this, 90 percent of illiterate people live in rural
areas, and half in western regions. The problem of girl dropouts remains serious in these areas (Peoples
Daily, September 9, 2002). Furthermore, adult illiteracy rates among women are about 24%, while for
men is is 8.3% of the population. This lack of education creates a direct correlation to lack of economic
prosperity, as these women are forced to occupy low-paying jobs. Another example of gender
discrimination is the patriarchal structure of Chinas society. According to DFID, women had no property
or inheritance rights, and were considered inside people as they spent their time indoors caring for the
household. The problem of poverty in China derives mostly from the treatment of women in education,
family structure, and workforce.

Afghanistan remains one of the worst places for women to live, as their rights are compromised
and poverty becomes a very real reality. One statement that sums up their situation is Afghanistan has
been called the worst place in the world to be a woman,(1) because not only is the poverty pervasive and
the lifespan short, but while they are alive many women live like serfs (Visalli). For example, only 14
percent of Afghan women are literate. Women lack access for education, which greatly compromises their
ability to find work. According to the United Nations, Afghanistans president signed anti-women laws
such as one that forbids Afghan Shia women from leaving their home, work, go to school, or inheriting
lan (Lopez). The odds are greatly against allowing women any opportunities to create their own future. It
is no surprise that women have complete dependence on their husbands, and often starve to death when
their husband dies or there is a divorce.On a side note, men often get away with violence, sexual
harassment, and underage marriage of women. Women are not valued in any sector of this society,
whether it be social, work-related, or political.
In conclusion, women in many societies face much higher poverty levels as a result of how
society values them in contrast to men. In places such as India, China, and Afghanistan, women are
offered less opportunities to be educated, own property, work, and redeem themselves. It is far more
common for women to be aborted, abused, undernourished, and treated as second-class humans. As a
result of the lowly way that they are seen intrinsically, they have little opportunities to ever progress and
thrive apart from their husband. It is a sad situation that can be observed on a widespread scale around the
world.