ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the systemically rooted intersection of poverty and race, it is essential to understand the powerful interactive effect of gender in this dynamic. Much more than other forms of demographic categorization beyond race and ethnicity, gender has had a disproportionate impact on poverty in the United States. Many researchers hold that the term sex refers to anatomical and physiological differences, whereas gender refers to the social construct that differentiates men from women. For instance, the fact that only women can become pregnant is a function of sex; the fact that women are disproportionately expected to be child-care providers is a function of gender. As with racism, the important element that is often neglected in discussions of sexism is power. False equivalency claims are common: real or perceived disadvantages for men are presented as evidence that sexism "goes both ways". The most visible element of gender inequality in the United States is the wage gap.
