A Comparative Study of Poverty in Women: Feminist and Marxist Theories

This essay delves into the issue of poverty in women, analyzing it through the lenses of feminist and Marxist theories. It begins with an abstract summarizing the core arguments and then provides an introduction to health and social care, setting the context for the study. The main body is divided into sections that explain the feminist perspective, highlighting the impact of cultural values, gender discrimination, and social norms on women's economic status. The Marxist perspective is then explored, emphasizing the role of capitalism, labor demand, and wage discrimination. The essay then compares and contrasts these two theories, identifying similarities in their focus on gender inequality and social welfare, while also pointing out key differences regarding the root causes of poverty. The conclusion synthesizes the findings, reiterating the importance of addressing gender discrimination, inequalities, and capitalism to eradicate poverty in women. The essay includes a comprehensive list of references from academic journals and online resources.

Health and social care

ABSTRACT
Health and social care is required to be a part of society in order to maintain a minimum
level of living standards, elimination of poverty from society and providing medical and
financial help to the poor and needy people of society. Feminists and Marxist theories are two
essential theories based on the poverty of women. Both theory focuses on the poverty in women,
determination of essential causes of behind it and way of elimination of the poverty from the
society as well. The theory explains that gender discrimination, different objections due to
gender of individual, oppression, etc. covers under gender discrimination. Moreover, in the
advanced capitalism society, with the increase in the business, profit and revenue generation
capacity of the society, the demand of women labour is also increasing in the recent time. In
addition, in addition, it is also resulting in reducing the level of discrimination for payment for
the job is also reducing over the year. Feminists theory states that discrimination with women in
the society, and availability of inequality in the society with women are two core reasons that
influences poverty in the women in society. Similarlry, as per the Marxist theory, discrimination
inequality with the women in context to recruiting for job and setting payment for the job are two
main cause that influences poverty in the society.

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
Section 1.......................................................................................................................................4
Section 2.......................................................................................................................................5
Section 3.......................................................................................................................................5
Section 4.......................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Health and social care refers to treating physically or mentally ill people and provide care
and support to poor voluntarily people. For providing health care services, medical treatment for
any diseases, mental or physical illness, any disability, etc. are being provided to the needy
people of society. On the other hand, in the social care services, a range of social care services
are being provided to the vulnerable people of society in order to maintain a minimum level of
living standard within the society and eliminate poverty as well. The present study is divided into
different sections and subsections. These sections of assignment are based on the study of
poverty in women. It explains the view of feminists towards poverty among women. It shows use
of Marxists theory in explanation of poverty in women. Further, the study explains similarities
and differences between explanation of poverty in women by feminists and Marxists.
MAIN BODY
Section 1
Explanation of feminists for poverty in women
Feminists theory can be used for the purpose ogf analysing and evaluating poverty
included among women of society. As per the view of feminists, the society contains a large
number of poverty in women. The major reason behind it is the cultural values and norms of the
society. In addition, division of the society on the basis of gender is also one of the major reason
behind poverty in women (Chant, 2016). Further, as per the explanation of feminists, “poverty in
the society has female face.” as in the society, number of poor women are more than that are of
men.
The major objective of feminists theory is to analyse and evaluate gender discrimination
in the culture and social values. The theory explains that gender discrimination, different
objections due to gender of individual, oppression, etc. covers under gender discrimination. Due
to gender discrimination of the society, women are likely to be paid less than men for their jobs.
Further, the feminists theory states that in for the welfare of women in society, it is
necessary to consider each and every coercive aspect of the poverty in women. In addition, it is
necessary to remove the discrimination and inequality in the society in context to payment for
the job on the basis of gender of individual. In this regard, the poverty among ther women would
be reduced or eliminated from society (Feminist Perspectives on Class and Work, 2019.).

Section 2
Explanation of Marxists for poverty in women
Marxist theory explains the status of poverty in all over the society. Marxism have a
major focus over the causes of emancipation of women in the society. The theory was explained
by Marx (Jacobson, 2018). As per this theory, the capitalism of society is the main reason of
poverty and exploitation of women. The society need to eliminate effect of capitalism in order to
remove discrimination and inequality of women.
Due to the availability of capitalism in the society, women are not treated as a
convenient source of labour in the society. It results in reduction of demand of women labour for
any job. It leads in increase of discrimination and inequality among women and increase in level
of poverty in women as well. Although, the the theory also further explains that the level of
poverty in women in the society has reduced as compare to the few years back. Moreover, in the
advanced capitalism society,with the increase in the business, profit and revenue generation
capacity of the society, the demand of women labour is also increasing in the recent time. In
addition, in addition, it is also resulting in reducing the level of discrimination for payment for
the job is also reducing over the year. In this regard, in the mean time, the condition of women
in the society is improving with the passage of time and advancement in the capitalism in the
society.
Section 3
Similarities between explanation of feminists and Marxist on poverty in women
The main similarity between the theory of femistis and Marxist is that the main focus of
both the theory is inclusion of poverty in the society. Feminists theory states that discrimination
with women in the society, and availability of inequality in the society with women are two core
reasons that influences poverty in the women in society (Strand, 2018). Similarlry, as per the
Marxist theory, discrimination inequality with the women in context to recruiting for job and
setting payment for the job are two main cause that influences poverty in the society.
In addition, both feminists and Marxist theory concerns with providing several details
with the help of which poverty in women of the society in can be reduced. Moreover, both
theories provides several ways in order to improve social wekfare for improving the condition of
woman within the society. Both the theories have a view that gender discrimination among the

society in terms of labour and sexual division of labour within the society results in inclusion of
poverty in the women.
Furthermore, by analysing both the theories, it can be seen feminist theory as well as
Marxist theory have view that due to cultural values and social culture, the women in the society
are termed as less convenient labour within the society. It is one of the core reason of
discrimination with women that causes inequality in the payment for the job to women as
compare to man. In this regard, the social and cultural values are also one of the essential
element of poverty in women.
Section 4
Differences between explanation of feminists and Marxist on poverty in women
Along with various similarities, there are also various differences between Marxist and
feminists theory based on poverty in women. The core view of feminists theory is that the
poverty is caused due to damaged cultural norms towards the women. On the other hand, the
core view of Marxist theory is that the capitalism in the society causes the discrimination and
inequality in the society with the women that become the main reason behind the poverty in
women within the society.
As per the views of Marxist theory, no the poverty within the society can be eliminated
through advancement of capitalism within the society. On the other hand, feminists theory does
not provide any view regarding capitalism in the society.
The major focus of feminists theory is about improvement in the cultural and social
norms towards the society (Raphael, 2015). On the other hand, the major focus of Marxist
theory is to develop advancement in the capitalism system of society.
Further, by analysing the feminism, it can be evaluated that for improving the social
welfare, it is essential to improve the economic calss and elimination of gender discrimination
among the society. Whereas, on this, Marxist theory states that poverty in women can be
eliminated by reducing ore elimination of discrimination and inequality in the society with the
women in society.
CONCLUSION
From the above study based on poverty in women, it can be stated that poverty in women
is one of the essential element that exists within the society. There are two theories namely

feminists and Marxist theory that explains the poverty among within the society. The society
contains social and cultural disadvantage in context to women discrimination with women that
causes the poverty in women within the society. Further, the study has also concluded that in
order to remove poverty in women it is essential to eliminate gender discrimination, inequalities
along with improvement of capitalism in the society.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Chant, S., 2016. Addressing world poverty through women and girls: a feminised
solution. Sight and Life Magazine. 30(2). pp.58-62.
Jacobson, J.L., 2018. Women’s health: The price of poverty. In The Health Of Women (pp. 3-
32). Routledge.
Strand, K.J., 2018. Poverty and Health, Actually. Resources for Gender and Women's Studies
39(2). p.12.
Raphael, J., 2015. Saving Bernice: Battered women, welfare, and poverty. Northeastern
University Press.
Online
Feminist Perspectives on Class and Work. 2019. [ONLINE] Available through
<https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-class/>

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