The Feminization of Global Scarcity and Violence

Abstract

The negative impact that economic scarcity has had on the lives of women & children throughout the world is addressed in terms of the feminization of resource scarcity, poverty, & violence. Current population control policies in Third World nations are criticized for not incorporating women's voices into family-planning debates; health policies in these nations are also seen as failing to address women's health needs. The particularly harmful effects that unsustainable development approaches have had on women's economic, political, & social lives are discussed. Despite these significant problems, several promising movements designed to economically & socially empower women are noted, eg, the Grameen Bank project in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, women remain the principal victims of violence in Third World nations. Recommendations for ending gendered violence & reducing economic scarcity include the need to realize that women's well-being is essential to humankind's future survival. J. W. Parker