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Abuse, Divorce and Motherhood Contribute to Poverty, Poor Health

The Oregon Women’s Health Network looks at paid family leave, higher asset limits for public benefits and more affordable housing as cures for women’s ills.
December 8, 2015

Intimate partner violence can lead to diabetes, hypertension, depression, substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases, said Cassie Russell, economic empowerment coordinator at Bradley Angel, which she described as “the oldest shelter in the West.”

Domestic abuse victims are eligible for three days leave from work, which Russell believes isn’t enough to move them into safe housing or resolve financial insecurity. The stigma associated with asking for abuse leave can be a career-limiting move, she told the women’s health network.

Eliminating the asset test for public benefits might be better, along with increasing employment-related day care and parental leave. “Is $2,000 enough for first and last month’s rent on an apartment?” she asked of the asset test. “Especially if others have access to the $2,000?”

“Motherhood is the leading predictor of poverty in old age,” said Sharon Bernstein, deputy director of Family Forward Oregon and Family Forward Action.

Bernstein said 40 percent of women experience poverty after divorce and earn substantially less than their male counterparts.

Government-supported high-quality child care, retirement security, fair scheduling policies, domestic workers’ rights and family leave are the best policies to relieve this inequity, Bernstein said.

In the near future, Bernstein believes Oregon will tackle paid family leave by some combination of employee payroll deductions and employer contributions. The city of Portland and Multnomah County passed limited paid family leave for their employees but “employers (alone) can’t make this good enough,” she said.

With a shortage of more than 25,000 affordable housing units in Portland, housing may be among the biggest issues in women’s health and wellbeing.

Over Thanksgiving, the city of Portland and Transition Projects opened the Sears Emergency Shelter, providing 150 beds for adult homeless women. Later in the month, the shelter may open to couples.

Jan can be reached at [email protected].

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