St. Norbert Times

Issue date: 11/23/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Michelle Lee

Students recently packed into the Peace and Justice Center (PJC) for the presentation entitled "The Feminization of Poverty." PJC Director Dr. Robert Pyne and Steph Lambert '10 discussed micro loans and women's poverty around the globe.

Pyne played a PBS video that showed how women start businesses with the help of micro loans. For example, one woman in Uganda received a micro loan and bought equipment to begin a peanut butter business.

Pyne also showed pictures of businesswomen he personally met who benefited from micro loans. Though he did not remember their names, he remembered and shared their stories. One woman began a food store where she sold fresh produce. She had help from a small loan and eventually became a leading businesswoman in her community. Another woman started out with only a five-dollar loan and now has a successful restaurant. Months later she even hired two employees to assist her.

Many women benefit from the loan system called Kiva, which was mentioned numerous times throughout the event.

The PJC distributed handouts about Kiva which stated, "Kiva is non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur around the globe. You choose where you want to lend-whether to a baker in Afghanistan or a goat herder in Uganda- and as they repay their loan, you get your money back."

Kalindi O'Brien '10 loves how women invest in children as a result of micro loans.

"By investing in a woman, you are investing in the next generation," O'Brien said. "Eighty percent of the wealth is redistributed."

The presentation also focused on women and poverty. Lambert discussed specific reasons why women live in poverty, especially in Uganda. She noted how familial responsibilities limit women's earning capacities as they care for children, husbands and the home. They are also victims to sexual abuse and lower paying jobs.

Pyne and Lambert's final statement suggested a way for students to help those facing poverty. They noted that campus Kiva chapters do exist, and perhaps SNC students should think of establishing one.

This PJC handout came from the Center for American Progress and offered reasons why US women are living in poverty:

Why are More U.S. Women Living in Poverty?

• Women are paid less than men, even when they have the same qualifications and work the same hours.

• Women are segregated into low paying occupations, and occupations dominated by women are low paid.

• Women spend more time providing unpaid care giving than men.

• Women are more likely to bear the costs of raising children.

• Pregnancy affects women's work and educational opportunities more than men's.

• Domestic and sexual violence can push women into a cycle of poverty.

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