In A Report Card on Women and Poverty, prepared for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, economist Monica Townson found that, since 1980, the percentage of women living in poverty has been climbing steadily. Women remain among the poorest of the poor, says Townson. And recent government policies have contributed to the growing poverty of women, she notes. Fifty-six per cent of women heading single parent families have incomes below the poverty line. 65 or older have low incomes - exactly the same poverty rate as that reported by the Royal Commission for this group in 1967.
Most poor people live thousands of dollars below the poverty line.
Earnings of married women have done much to keep family poverty rates down.