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Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- These principles require that claimants or defendants must be able to exercise their rights and defend their interests effectively and in full procedural equality with other parties. When there is a big disparity in the economic or social status of litigants, as is often the case when those living in poverty seek redress for grievances against more powerful parties, there is a high risk of an unequal trial. For example, this is likely when impoverished workers want to bring a case against their employer for unfair and unjust working conditions or when a woman without personal income or resources brings a case against her partner for domestic violence. Procedural inequality can also arise in litigation against the State.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Certain groups that suffer from structural discrimination and exclusion and are disproportionately represented among the poor, particularly ethnic and racial minorities, migrants and indigenous peoples, encounter additional barriers to accessing justice. Those difficulties are multiplied for women living in poverty, who experience compounded discrimination and disempowerment, not to mention financial constraints. Therefore, across different contexts, women living in poverty experience particular difficulties in accessing justice mechanisms and winning judicial recognition, action and enforcement for crimes, discrimination and human rights violations they are disproportionately subject to. Children are often denied the due process guarantees that they are entitled to on the same basis as adults, as well as additional protections that are necessary, in particular when they are particularly deprived or marginalized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Another social barrier relates to the powerlessness and dependence of persons living in poverty or their subordination to other groups or persons. For example, in some societies, poor women may be unable to approach justice systems without the assistance of a male relative, while in very hierarchical societies those who are economically dependent on other groups are unlikely to pursue justice claims against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Women living in poverty suffer compounded obstacles to accessing justice generated by inadequate legal frameworks and normative protection, because the deprivations and abuse that women suffer as women are often not recognized in law. Many States lack legal and constitutional frameworks that guarantee women the enjoyment of their rights, such as anti-discrimination laws. Issues such as domestic violence, sexual violence, reproductive rights, and equal pay and inheritance rights are not adequately addressed in many legal regimes, thus curtailing any possibility of seeking remedies. This has a particularly devastating impact on poor women, who are often left without any formal or informal recourse.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Such factors often act as a persuasive deterrent against seeking redress from judicial or adjudicatory mechanisms, or may indeed represent an insurmountable obstacle for the poorest and most marginalized. This is especially so for those who have limited mobility, such as older persons or persons with disabilities, or those for whom travel is more difficult or dangerous, including women and children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Non-registration of complaints by the police is a practice common in overburdened and underresourced criminal justice systems. In such cases, it is usually the complaints of persons living in poverty that go unregistered, owing to bias and discrimination, and their disempowerment and lack of knowledge and information about their rights. Cases involving gender-based violence, notably rape allegations, often go unregistered, particularly when the victim is a woman living in poverty and lacks awareness or the means to pressure the police to investigate.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Those costs are particularly severe for persons who live in rural areas, who may have to travel for days to access the justice system. Individuals who have informal or precarious work are unlikely to obtain their employer's permission to take time off to attend a hearing, even if they are willing to forego pay. Attendance would mean they risk losing their jobs and income altogether. Caregivers, the majority of whom are women, may not be able to leave home to submit a claim or to attend a court hearing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- This can constitute a significant barrier for the poorest and most marginalized, many of whom speak local languages or dialects, as well as for indigenous populations, ethnic minorities and migrants. In particular, those who are often excluded from education services, including women, are less likely to have received adequate schooling in the official or predominant language.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Despite States' obligation to ensure that individuals facing a criminal charge have access to a free interpreter (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 14.3 (f)), often this service is limited, unavailable or reserved for those who speak a foreign language, rather than a minority language or local dialect, and is rarely provided in civil cases. The issue of language disproportionately disadvantages women, who are not only less likely to speak the predominant language and require an interpreter, but who are also vulnerable to abuse or exploitation by interpreters, whose cultural prejudices may inform their translation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- In practice, however, restrictions on legal standing in many States directly and indirectly exclude persons living in poverty from accessing judicial and adjudicatory mechanisms. For example, in some States, legislatures and judicial systems limit standing for certain groups, such as women and children. Discriminatory laws deprive women of legal competency and require that they be under male guardianship before instituting a claim or giving evidence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Informal justice systems are often more accessible to persons living in poverty and may have the potential to provide quick, affordable and culturally relevant remedies. However, informal justice mechanisms frequently exhibit some of the same weaknesses as State systems. For example, they may exclude women, minorities and disadvantaged groups, be susceptible to corruption and abuse of power, require payment from claimants or impose heavy fines, and in some there may be frequent lengthy delays in deciding cases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Given the great diversity of social contexts, there is no "one size fits all" solution for ensuring access to justice for persons living in poverty. Differing national and local contexts create a variety of challenges and opportunities for reform that must be taken into account. Success in all contexts, however, will share the features of a human rights-based approach. Solutions require tackling not only legal obstacles but also a range of extralegal factors: social, economic, cultural, linguistic, etc. Solutions must be sought at local levels, designed and implemented with the active participation of the communities affected. Therefore, policymakers and legal authorities should have a specific contextual understanding of local legal institutions and the variety of obstacles on the ground that impede access to justice by persons living in poverty, and implement multidimensional solutions that can strengthen their agency and ensure their enjoyment of their rights. Special attention must be paid to women and groups that are particularly excluded, such as indigenous peoples, older persons and migrants. With this in mind, States must take immediate and effective action to ensure that persons living in poverty are not denied enjoyment of their human rights because of insurmountable obstacles which prevent them from accessing the justice system. To this end, the Special Rapporteur wishes to present the following recommendations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- [States should:] Address the practical factors that impede women's ability to claim their rights, including the status of women and gender-based stereotypes, prejudices and norms
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Extreme inequality and human rights 2015, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Economic and social inequalities are often categorized as "vertical inequalities", referring to the distribution of something such as income, health or power. Vertical inequalities can be distinguished from "horizontal inequalities", which are group-based differences (describing between "whom" the relevant differences occur). Horizontal inequalities may for instance refer to: inequality between men and women, between majorities and minorities, between races, between groups of people with different sexual orientations or between generations. Horizontal inequalities often overlap with vertical inequalities, for instance when women are overrepresented in lower income segments or when a racial minority is underrepresented in political bodies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Extreme inequality and human rights 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Although many forms of discrimination are inherently unjust, the correlation between gender-based discrimination and economic inequalities deserves special mention since it potentially affects half of the world's population. While both men and women may experience myriad inequalities, based on factors such as their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability, gender-based discrimination is too often seen to be almost exclusively a women's problem. In its World Development Report 2012, the World Bank describes the forms of discrimination that still exist in many countries and that directly affect economic inequality between men and women. According to the World Bank, men and women still have different ownership rights in at least nine countries, and in many countries, women and girls still have fewer inheritance rights than men and boys. In addition, women continue to fare badly in the labour market generally. A stocktaking by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) shows that almost 80 countries maintain restrictions on the types of work that women are permitted to undertake. Also according to UN-Women, at the global level, women's labour force participation rates have stagnated since the 1990s. Currently, only half of women are in the labour force compared to more than three quarters of men. Despite considerable regional variations, nowhere has this gender gap been eliminated: globally, women earn on average 24 per cent less than men. In one study of four countries, lifetime income gaps between women and men were estimated to be between 31 and 75 per cent.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Extreme inequality and human rights 2015, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Mr. Eide attached considerable importance to the policies of international financial institutions and was critical of IMF for adopting the position that it should not concern itself with income distribution. As noted earlier, the position of IMF today differs significantly. Mr. Eide criticized the role played by international financial institutions in reducing the power of the State, which he considered to have an essential role to play in ensuring equity in income distribution. In reflecting on the obligations of States in relation to efforts to reduce income inequality, Mr. Eide called for, inter alia, policies to ensure access to land and other productive assets; the provision of public services and other benefits as well as equality of opportunity for all; guarantees of non-discrimination in employment; the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and the provision of a functioning system of taxation (ibid., paras. 82-83).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Extreme inequality and human rights 2015, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- At present, there is no explicitly stated right to equality, as such, under international human rights law. In order to ground equality as an organizing theme in this area of law, human rights bodies and commentators have relied on provisions such as those in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that proclaim the equal rights of men and women (preamble), that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (art. 1) and that all are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law" (art. 7). These provisions have been paired with those dealing with non-discrimination, which is also considered to be one of the central and foundational principles of international human rights law. Virtually all of the core human rights treaties contain explicit provisions on non-discrimination. Also, for the most part, human rights bodies have been careful to emphasize that the norms of equality and non-discrimination require substantive and not just formal equality.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Extreme inequality and human rights 2015, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- However, in reading the jurisprudence generated by most of the treaty bodies, it is difficult to escape certain conclusions. First, article 3 of the International Covenants on Human Rights, which asserts equal rights for men and women, has perhaps not been given its fullest reading, especially in terms of access to resources. Second, for all of the attention given to affirmative obligations to eliminate discrimination, much of the work of the treaty bodies seems unduly confined to a focus on specific violations of non-discrimination. Linked to this is a reluctance to develop notions of distributive equality, which has been much debated in the literature, and would give an important added dimension to the effort to combat extreme inequality. Third, the right to equality needs to be given greater attention so that it is able to add substantively to the jurisprudence of international human rights bodies in ways that it has not, thus far. Finally, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has to date done all too little in practice, as opposed to its analysis in general comments, to explore what might be involved in the prohibitions in article 2 (2) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights against discrimination based on social origin, property or birth.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Human rights based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a focus on those living in poverty 2011, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Given the clearly disproportionate and devastating effect of the global economic and financial crises on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including children, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and migrants, States must be particularly careful to ensure that recovery measures do not exclude them or exacerbate their situation. Considering that gender inequality is a cause of and a factor that perpetuates poverty, effective recovery policies must take into account State obligations regarding gender equality and the protection of women's full range of rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Human rights based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a focus on those living in poverty 2011, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- These are alarming numbers. What these figures do not show, however, is that those who are enduring the gravest effects of the crises are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society, including women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and migrants. Because of ingrained discrimination and structural disadvantage, vulnerable groups have restricted access to services and social protection, which help to cushion the effects of crises, and they are thus exposed to increased risk during times of economic shock.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Human rights based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a focus on those living in poverty 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In addition to the short-term responses to address immediately the impact of the crises, States must adopt a comprehensive long-term strategy for sustainable development aimed at addressing the root causes of poverty. In this regard, respect for all human rights, including the rule of law, gender equality and empowerment of women, inclusive participation, freedoms of association and expression, and equal access to public services are essential for poverty reduction. According to the circumstances of each State, national development strategies should also support small-scale farming through land redistribution, equal access to financial services and ensuring access to public services and infrastructure in rural areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Human rights based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a focus on those living in poverty 2011, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Any form of discrimination, such as that based on sex, race, ethnicity or religion, against workers must be prohibited. Workers' remuneration must be fair, allowing for a decent living for workers and their family. Equal remuneration for work of equal value must also be ensured without discrimination of any kind; in particular, women must enjoy equal pay with men. Special protection for women during pregnancy, and for persons with disabilities, must also be put in place. To ensure the implementation of these obligations, States must regulate labour markets and establish mechanisms to strengthen the accountability of private actors. A greater number of avenues for dialogue between employers and workers, and the opportunity for workers to participate in the design and implementation of employment policies, will further assist States in meeting their human rights obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Human rights based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a focus on those living in poverty 2011, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The obligations of non-discrimination and equality oblige States to ensure that employment creation policies benefit all sectors of society equally. Policies that increase the employability (for example, through demand-driven skills development and vocational training) of groups that face specific barriers in their access to employment, such as women, persons with disabilities, young people and indigenous populations, will assist States in fulfilling their human rights obligations. To remove obstacles to employment for women, States should ensure the availability of care services (from the State, the community and the market), the redistribution of paid and unpaid work from a gender perspective and the elimination of all forms of gender discrimination. States are not only obliged to undertake effective legislation to this end, but also to take measures to modify social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Marginality of economic and social rights 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- In support of the view that specific recognition is not required, it might be argued that if a treaty envisages such recognition, it would say so explicitly. Thus treaties dealing with torture, genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity call not just for legislative recognition of the norm, but also for explicit criminalization of particular conduct. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women unequivocally requires States parties "to embody the principle of the equality of men and women in their national constitutions or other appropriate legislation" (art. 2 (a)). It further obliges them "to ensure, through law and other appropriate means, the practical realization of this principle."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Penalization of people living in poverty 2011, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- In this respect, women are particularly vulnerable to penalization measures. Due to structural discrimination, women have less representation in structures of power and therefore are disproportionately disadvantaged in their dealings with State authorities and less able to claim their rights. Often penalization measures have a much more onerous impact on women than men, given that women are overrepresented among the poor, have less access to education, employment and economic resources, and assume the principal burden of care and domestic work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Penalization of people living in poverty 2011, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- When street vendors are harassed or bribed or their wares are destroyed, deep structural inequalities and power imbalances, communication and information barriers and a lack of access to legal representation make it nearly impossible for them to complain to police. In countries where street vending is illegal, individuals are too afraid to report mistreatment or harm to police for fear of being criminalized themselves. This is particularly acute with respect to street vendors who are members of vulnerable groups which face widespread discrimination and have historically had negative relationships with police and authorities, such as women, migrants and ethnic minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Penalization of people living in poverty 2011, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- In many countries, those entitled to social benefits are required to prove their entitlement by providing excessive amounts of documentation and disclosing irrelevant personal information. This is often a stressful and demeaning process for beneficiaries. Persons living in poverty face several obstacles and costs in gaining access to official documents. Documents may be expensive, and accessing them difficult for individuals who do not have a fixed address or lack proof of identity. This is particularly common in developing countries, where some of the most vulnerable and excluded people, particularly women and ethnic minorities, are not registered at birth. Obtaining documents also requires additional interactions with public officials who often lack sufficient understanding of the specific needs and circumstances of persons living in poverty. Anecdotal evidence shows that social benefit administrators are often inconsiderate or unsympathetic towards beneficiaries, who in addition to bureaucratic hurdles must overcome gaps in education, literacy and communication when seeking to comply with often complex and opaque requirements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Penalization of people living in poverty 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Being excluded from social benefit assistance has an especially harsh effect on women, who make up the majority of social benefit beneficiaries, and who generally hold primary responsibility for the care of children and maintenance of the household. If women are denied access to social benefits, it will generally have implications for the whole family. Furthermore, there is an increased likelihood that women will remain in or return to abusive relationships, or be forced to live in other vulnerable situations, if they are unable to access social benefits.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Social protection and old age poverty 2010, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- There is an urgent need to understand the implications of increasing longevity in the world. The population aged over 60 is expected to rise from 737 million persons in 2009 to over 2 billion in 2050. Those older than 80 years represent the fastest growing segment of all societies. Moreover, older women increasingly outnumber older men as their ages increase.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Social protection and old age poverty 2010, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Most older women are excluded from formal social security and health insurance schemes as these are linked to paid, formal-sector employment. In developing countries, the great majority of women work all their lives in the informal sector or unpaid activities. In developed countries too, older women are more likely than men to be poor at old age. On average, in European Union countries, older women have a poverty risk rate of about 22 per cent as compared to 16 per cent for older men. They are less likely to receive a large contributory pension since they are more likely to have stopped work at some point over their lifetime to take on the burden of child rearing and are also more likely to have received lesser wages for their work than men.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph