Divorced Women: Vulnerable To Poverty

Sadly, divorced women are often ostracized and face discrimination when attempting to rejoin the work force after their divorces.  The statistics show that poverty rates for women who have left or lost their husbands are far above the average and it is expected that the numbers will continue to rise.

Discrimination against divorced women takes place in many countries. In the United States, 37% of elderly women who live in poverty are divorced. The statisticians expect these numbers to climb as baby boomers get older and the divorce rate continues to climb.

American women who divorce are more vulnerable to poverty because unlike northern and western Europeans, there is no “insurance” for the women who took time off to raise the children. In addition, they often receive less than one half of their ex husband’s pensions and other assets.

When these women attempt to enter the work force, often they do not possess the skills to obtain employment that could keep them out of poverty.

When you next go to the grocery store, take note of the customers in front of you and behind you. You will be surprised to see how many of them are using food stamps.

I received a call from a woman last night because she received her final divorce decree and realized too late that she had been financially devastated. Please, learn from statistics and learn from the experiences of women who didn’t protect their financial futures. Just like you, they didn’t think these things could happen to them.

Photo: clementine gallot