Invest in women, who are disproportionately affected by the recession

RECENTLY, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Nicholas Kristof each have independently highlighted the chronic and systemic problems affecting millions of women worldwide — and they are right.

Here in our own community, women's poverty rates and barriers to economic stability are at an unprecedented level. Now is the time to realize that investments in women pay high dividends to all of us.

More than ever before, women are playing a critical role in protecting the well-being of our families and communities. But while their representation in the work force is on the rise, employment alone does not equate to economic security for women or their families. Women are more likely to work in part-time jobs without health insurance or benefits, and women working full-time in our state earn just 74 cents for every dollar men earn, compared with 78 cents nationwide.

Furthermore, women continue to be underrepresented in higher-paying industries. For instance, in the Washington information sector, 48 percent of those employed in 1990 were women — that number fell to 36 percent by 2007.

Females also dominate employment in low-paying fields responsible for building our country's human capital — early child care, education, and health and human services. Though they are safeguarding the development and health of our future work force, their compensation in these professions often barely pays a livable wage.

For example, Washington households headed by single women are six times more likely to live in poverty than those headed by married couples and 2.5 times more than by those led by their single male counterparts. According to the 2009 Self Sufficiency Standard for Washington state, a single mother with two children in King County would have to make nearly three times the minimum wage of $8.55 per hour to make ends meet.

We know things can be better. We have seen success right here in our own community. Washington CASH, for example, has helped 711 low-income women start viable businesses, adding critical dollars and jobs to our local economy. Additionally, the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center organizes low-income women in our area to advocate for themselves and work on their own behalf to drive policy change that will benefit women and families.

But successful programs like these that tear down the economic and social barriers for women are vulnerable and experiencing drastic cuts in government funding. As a foundation, Women's Funding Alliance is seeing the increased need for these programs as the resources decline. As policymakers and economists try to find a way to rebuild the economy, investing in women-led solutions must be central to any plan. Solutions that are created for and in partnership with marginalized women will yield women who are community leaders.

Our state and local elected officials must enact policies that positively affect the lives of women and benefit both men and women. They must implement the Family Leave Insurance Act; create an enforceable living-wage standard for families; fund job-training and job-creation programs for both traditional and nontraditional work sectors; and ensure equal pay for equal work and affordable child care. Our federal lawmakers need to set goals for hiring women in nontraditional jobs funded by federal contracts.

As community members, we too must invest in women. Whether you choose to act with your wallet, your time, or both, your action will make a difference. Few will be untouched by this recession. But the critical role that women play in maintaining our families and community demands that we identify solutions that will foster not only an equitable recovery, but also innovative long-term solutions for women and girls — and ultimately for all of us.

LeAnne Moss is the executive director of Women's Funding Alliance. Bill and Paula Clapp are co-founders of Global Partnerships and the Seattle International Foundation.