Women’s Foundation of Genesee Valley

Women and children of the Rochester region are disproportionately affected by poverty as documented in the findings of the study on the economic status of women by the Women’s Foundation of Genesee Valley. The minimum income a family needs for ordinary living costs (food, housing, transportation, health care, child care) is far higher than the federal poverty threshold and also significantly higher than what someone working full-time at the minimum wage can earn. Half of all households headed by women have incomes too small to meet basic needs. The burden of poverty falls disproportionately on women—especially African-American, Hispanic, and Native American women. The study also found that 62% of households in poverty were headed by women; of those, more than 93% had children under the age of 18 years. In addition, 34% of women who had dropped out of high school were living in poverty.