He-cession/She-cession: Why We Need To Invest in Women Right Now

The internet is abuzz over the “he-cession,” the term promoted by David Zincenko in USA Today and Reihan Salam in Foreign Policy to describe the disproportionate affects of the recession on men.  If you prefer the likes of Christina Hoff Sommers and The Atlantic, you can use their word — “mancession” — to describe the phenomenon.

While men have lost jobs at higher rates than women, it’s misleading to imply that women are living large, while men are becoming an “endangered species” in Zincenko’s words.  In fact, women went into the recession with a huge disadvantage — according to the Center for American Progress, 20.6% of women in their child-bearing/prime working years were already living in poverty versus 14% of men.

While unemployment rates for men are higher than they are for women, the percentage of men in the workforce is also higher; 59.5% of women are in the labor force versus 73% of men.  In absolute numbers, more men than women are still employed, and many more of them in management jobs.  Women earn 20% less than men, and face a stiff motherhood penalty even if they return to the workforce full-time.  Even in the non-profit sector, which has traditionally been friendly to women, a recent study shows that male executives earn a whopping 27% more than women.

Theoretically having more women entering the workforce is a good thing, but in practice many of the jobs women are getting are low-paying, entry-level positions, often without health benefits — 69% of women are uninsured or underinsured, compared with 49% of men.  It’s likely that we will see an increase in poverty rates for men and women, but since women started at a disadvantage, this increase will hit even harder.

This not a race to the bottom, and the idea is not to argue about whether men or women have it worse.  We all are facing tough times.  But the fact is that women are primary investors in children’s health and education; putting money into their hands builds stronger families and communities.  More than helping one gender or another, the goal should be to create programs that ensure a brighter futures for our children.  It just so happens that programs that help women are likely to have this effect.

Related links:

• Courtney Martin at The American Prospect asks why we are pitting men against women vis a vis the recession.
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment act has a number of provisions for women and children that are very promising; highlights are available on Nancy Pelosi’s website.
• Courtney at Feministing.com dismantles to idea of a “Great He-cession.”
• Thoughts on the he-cession from Tom Kuntz at The New York Times.