There’s a stereotypical image of a woman with two grade-schoolers trailing behind her while she holds a toddler’s hand and balances a baby on her hip using food stamps at a grocery store (and an even greater caricature of her buying a carton of cigarettes at the same time). Although this image may be unfair, it’s an unquestionable fact that low-income women receive the lion’s share of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits (the PC way of saying “food stamps”) … and recent decisions made by the Senate are going to hit these women very hard.
From Ms. Magazine:
The Senate has voted to cut funding for SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. Over 40 million Americans receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. In 2014, the assistance for a family of three will drop by about $50 a month. This is going to hit low-income women hard.
SNAP statistics don’t break down recipients by gender, but we can connect the dots. It’s no secret that poverty is a women’s issue. Thirteen percent of U.S. women were living in poverty in 2008, compared to 9.6 percent of men, according to the National Women’s Law Center, and a similar poverty gap exists in every state in the country. Overall, more than 15 million American women live in poverty.
I’m not a man-hater. In fact, sometimes I wish I were because it would certainly erase a lot of complications from my life. However, it’s a fact that, when “leaving” goes on, it is proportionately more likely to be men leaving women (and children) high and dry. And, yes, I do know ..
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