In the socio-economic context of Bangladesh, involvement of women in agriculture is very important. It would be easier to control rural-urban migration by engaging women in agricultural activities to a greater extent. Women play a vital role in agricultural production throughout the Bangladesh, making a significant contribution to the basic…

Social security systems in many countries must serve different populations of women, both as beneficiaries and as insured workers. As more women are acquiring their own social security rights, it is unclear what jobs they will have, what the benefits will be, what family responsibilities they will have, and what social policies will affect their…

Recent trends in U.S. families include increased numbers of single-parent families, stepfamilies, teen pregnancies, working mothers, and children living in poverty. Public policy should focus on affordable housing, access to health and child care, education and job training, and jobs that provide adequate income. (SK)

Most women who maintain families have a strong commitment to the labor force but have lower average educational attainment and earnings, bringing them closer to poverty with each additional child. (JOW)

This document presents some understandings of the total labor force and the total job market and suggests some basic interpretations of their meaning. It provides five clarifying statements regarding expected changes in the workforce between 1986 and 2000: (1) growth in the labor force does not necessarily mean growth in jobs; (2) it is unlikely…

In rural America 34 million culturally and economically diverse women share the common problem of unfair treatment based on sex. Although in recent years women have begun to question the social attitudes limiting their aspirations, a formidable gap exists between their expectations and the archaic legal, social, and economic policies that continue…

This document presents a welfare reform proposal designed to ensure a transition toward economic self-sufficiency and an end to poverty. It consists of four distinct elements that form an integrated and interdependent whole. The first element is a series of initiatives to achieve an adequate income maintenance system that guarantees that all needy…

This document contains congressional hearings to raise a variety of issues and problems pertaining to women in the workplace. It focuses on legislation that might alleviate any adverse conditions that might exist, especially H.R. 2577, the Economic Equity Act of 1987. Issues include barriers in pay equity, wider opportunities for women and…

Women earn only 64 cents for every dollar earned by men. Five and a half million women number among the "working poor." The following are suggested for change: (1) raise the minimum wage; (2) institute gender- and race-blind pay scales; (3) establish child care centers; and (4) enforce anti-discrimination laws. (PS)

Reviews the extension of affirmative action beyond the population descended from slaves to women. The so-called feminization of poverty is often cited to justify employment enhancement policies for women. Differences between racial and gender groups make some of the principal justifications less applicable to women. (SLD)

Background information and recommendations related to the support of child care services in Fort Wayne, Indiana is presented in six chapters. Chapter I discusses the feminization of the workforce and demographic data bearing on the need for child care, the child care workforce, and child care arrangements. Chapter II reviews child care services in…

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) programs can be coordinated in a number of ways, some of them especially focused on women. For example, research suggests the following: (1) WIA and TANF can be coordinated to improve low-income women's human capital development; (2) many states and localities…

Faulty laws, unfair practices, and years of tradition in the workplace keep women from economic equality. The Economic Equity Act proposed by Congress will address inequalities in tax and retirement matters, the need for better dependent care, nondiscrimination in insurance, regulatory reform, and child support enforcement. (IS)

Current debates about welfare reform center on the upcoming reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) legislation. The provisions of TANF include the elimination of the entitlement to cash assistance, block grant funding to the states, mandatory work requirements, sanctions, a 5-year limit on cash assistance, and…

Discusses four trends in family life which are particularly affecting Head Start and other programs serving low-income families (1) feminization of poverty, (2) teenage parenting, (3) increasing number of employed mothers, and (4) increasing challenges to attaining economic self-sufficiency. Explores the implications of these trends for Head Start…