Blog Action Day: Women Are the Key to Changing Poverty

by Jen Nedeau

Published October 15, 2008 @ 02:04PM PST

Today is Blog Action Day, which is a very special day here on the internetz where all the bloggers step off their soap boxes and write about one thing they would like to change.

This time, it's a biggie. We are all blogging today about poverty.

It's probably no surprise that women are greatly affected by poverty. Thirty percent of single women in the United States now live without income from a job or public assistance. Additionally, economic downturns hit women the hardest because they statistically earn less then men; are more likely to work part-time; are less likely to be eligible for unemployment insurance; are less likely to have health insurance; and are more likely to leave their jobs because of care giving responsibilities, domestic violence, or harassment.

But, did you realize that the key to solving poverty could be found within women themselves?

On Blog Action Day, I share this inspiring video from "The Girl Effect" -- because despite all the poverty in the world, there still needs to be hope.