Growing gap between rich and poor women

This US research backs up what I have been saying for a while; that the economic polarisation of women is greater than for men. And much of it is due to the welfare state.

When you consider the 70's expansion of the welfare state was largely driven by feminists they haven't done their "poor sisters" much good.

In the past eight years, unplanned pregnancies, births and abortions have risen among the nation's poorest women, while these rates have fallen for more affluent women......The Washington Post reports that 50 percent more poor women gave birth to babies in 2001 than in 1994, while the birth rate decreased in affluent women...

I am unaware of research confirming a similar trend in NZ but I believe it's happening, possibly at a greater rate. Why? Because our overall abortion rate is still climbing whereas in the US it is dropping.

In the forseeable future the likelihood of poorer women reproducing will be stronger than for the more affluent. In fact if you look at NZ regional fertility rates they are already highest in Gisborne (2.64 births per woman) and Northland (2.51) compared to the lowest Otago (1.61) and Canterbury (1.72).

Interesting that the researchers are calling for more publicly funded contraception and abortion, with equal access for all. NZ policy is closer to what they want but the results aren't. As Michael Bassett recently commented, it is a mystery why the growing availability and choice in contraception hasn't impacted on the incidence of births into poor families.