Women are more vulnerable and worse hit by poverty, across the world. In any country, the number of women below the poverty line is usually higher than the number of men.
The explanation for this is not far-fetched. There are many reasons accounting for the overwhelming population would poor women, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries.
These are caused by a range of factors which could be cultural, psychological to economic. On the cultural end, there are instances in which women are prevented from working, for religious purposes. Other women are inhibited by their marital commitment.
A woman who loses her husband may be required to perform some mentally tasking rites after which her psychological makeup changes forever. She sees little or nothing worth living for. Her children’s education is paused. They end up as dropouts and economically dependent.
Women in developed countries have more access to economically empowering jobs than their counterparts in the third world, particularly in Africa. For instance, in some firms, a woman cannot be appointed to some positions. Although this is gradually changing, it is a debilitating factor for most women.
These factors and many more have created dependent women who become very vulnerable when their spouses are gone. They are faced with the sudden task of providing for the family, a responsibility for which they are totally unprepared.
But, succor has come. Widows across Africa now have a reason to smile. We have tailor-made products that will cater to all of these worries.
We have created an Enterprise Scheme through which we empower women and girls to support themselves and become economically independent. We have educational products such as formal and vocational education for all classes of women.
Vocational education caters to young women who are prevented by their culture from obtaining formal education. While advocacy is ongoing to get our people to jettison such cultures, we have put together skills like weaving, tailoring, catering, marketing, etc to keep them economically empowered after a short period of time.
Our formal education packages range from adult literacy programs to degree courses which can be obtained at subsidized costs.
With the above, Poverty Must Die Africa (PMDAfrica) hope to produce about 200,000 independent women yearly across Africa. These would be women who can beat their chests and contribute to the family economically.
