Analysis Of The Feminization Of Poverty: Erin Brokovich

The Feminization of Poverty Student
School

The Feminization of Poverty Feminization of poverty refers to an expression that describes the state of women’s increasing presence amongst the poorest people in the society. The term is used in categorizing those women who not only lack in income or material needs, but those who lack with the basic capabilities of providing for themselves (Pearce, 1978). Such would include a basic education or the necessary skills to uphold any form of employment that would ensure that such women are able to fetch for themselves or their families. In the fortunate circumstances that such women are able to secure some form of employment, they are usually accommodated in the low paying
jobs and tasks while the more professional jobs and tasks are reserved for the male gender that are usually considered as the more superior gender (Pearce, 1978).
Erin Brokovich Erin Brokovich is a film adaptation of a real life occurrence portraying a point in life of one woman, Erin Brokovich (Ellis, 2001).
The film, starred by Julia Roberts, portrays the life of a single mother who struggles to provide for her three children without any substantial employment (Bromley, 2000). After being involved in an accident, the woman sues the driver and hires Ed Masyr to act as her lawyer. Unfortunately, due to her loud mouth and antics in court, she ends up losing the case. Her lawyer offers an opportunity to work as a research assistant. This is where her luck chips in and she is able to discover the grave injustice that a large company, Pacific Gas and Electric, had been conducting against the people of Hinkley (Bromley, 2000). Through the lawyer, she helps the people to gat justice and a compensation of nearly $333 million to all the people affected in the area (Ellis,
2001). The film perfectly portrays the aspect of feminization of poverty. Through the main character, Erin Brokovich, the film portrays the day to day struggles that women have to undergo owing to poverty and a lack of proper ways through which they can help themselves and their families. Through the scenes and the portrayal of men as a superior gender, the film re-enforces the notion that women suffer a lot when it comes to fending for themselves and providing for their families. From the first scene of the film, we are introduced to a woman who is seeking to get any form of employment in a bid to provide for her and three children.
However, due to her lack of proper education or any basic skill, she is not able to secure any employment from the numerous applications she makes. All the places she applies for requires some form of skill or expertise which she lacks (Ellis, 2001). Erin’s lack of employment is the first case of feminization of poverty. Being a woman who does not have any proper education or skill, no one is willing to provide her with any form of opportunity through which she can provide for her young children. This situation goes on even after Erin is involved in an accident and goes ahead to lose the case which she had filed against the driver. Lack of employment and the necessary skills are highlighted from the interview scene where she had applied for employment in the doctor’s office (Brumley,
2000). The second instance from the film that portrays the feminization of poverty is when Erin is employed by her lawyer as a form of compensation for losing the case. As much as she does not have skill, the tasks that are given to Erin serve to show that women are regarded as a weaker gender and the low key jobs should be reserved for them. She is kept in the file section as a technical assistant where nothing serious is expected of her. This is quite in contrast with her male counterparts who are allowed to practice law and could even go to the courts with the lawyers. Such are the actions in the movie that points out to the feminization of poverty and the suffering women undergo due to lack of employment or the basic skill required for survival.

References
Brumley, A. (2000, August 29). Julia Roberts takes charge in `Erin Brockovich '. (The Dallas
Morning News). Knight Rider/Tribune News Service. Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64780649.html?
Erin Brockovich. [Motion picture]. (2000). Universal Studios.
Ellis, E. (2001, June 22). ERIN BROCKOVICH. Conservation Matters.
Pearce, D. (1978). The Feminization of Poverty: Women. Work.