Most of the poor in Indonesia are women. The concept "feminization of poverty" clearly illustrates the inequities number about the representation of women among the poor compared with men. It is very important to break the chain of poverty and gender because some research show that poverty among women affect health and development of children compared with men. When the women's income increase and the number of poor women reduce, children as well take a benefit from this development, women spend more their money for their family especially for their children. Whit in other words, the reduces of poor women will bring multiply effect in the improvement of children's welfare, which became the future generation.
Several macroeconomic studies confirm that better educated women will give more contribute to the welfare of young people through the downturn infant mortality and children, the level of lower fertility, and increased nutrient the children. At the macroeconomic level, one results of the study showed that each increase one per cent participation of women in education produces 0.3 percent of middle school the increase in per ca pita income (Dollar and Gatti, 1999: in Michael Bamberger et al., p. 341).women's welfare is the determinant key in creating positive correlation between growth and poverty reduction in this country.
The attempt to understand the poor and poverty phenomenon can not only based on stereotypical views over the work ethic that assumes poor people are lazy and not saving their money. Prof. Dr. Loekman Soetrisno states, that the misfortunes of the poor must be placed in a wider context : development model that adapted by the country, social structure, socio-politic policy that is not beneficial for the weak and the poor.
Based on the complexity of the causes of poverty and the plight of women at the top, then, both the poor and women are equally in need of "empowerment". Empowerment is certainly relates in broader context, First, considering that humans not only transmitting value, but also creating value. That is, people (including the poor and women) is not simply the object of decisions, but the subject can determine the values and decide what is good for themselves. Second, that is the process of development needs democratic economic and political condition. Third, it is necessary to develop human culture with the global characteristics adjust to current times.
When women can empower themselves and their community, then the community will be helped to alleviate themselves from poverty itself.
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