WOMEN AND POVERTY

On or near International Women’s Day each year, we pause to celebrate women, but also to consider how women are faring in contemporary societies.  Even in the U.S., one sixth of the population lives below the poverty line and a disproportionate number are women, often single parents.  Beginning with the first two principles of Unitarian Universalist Covenant, but especially the belief in justice, equality and compassion in human relations, Estella Lauter will ask how we think about poverty in the U.S.; how the dominant view of poverty has affected women; and how Unitarians might make a better case for our first principles.

Although Estella has worn several “hats” that are relevant to this topic (student, waitress, wife, mother, teacher, administrator, poet), in this talk she will draw on her own early experiences of poverty and religion coupled with her (almost) lifelong reading in women’s studies  and her more recent reading of economics and political philosophy.

Music:  Gerri Friedberg
Service Leader:  Chuck Lauter