Almost half of the global population lives on less than $2 USD per day, and the majority these people are women and children who lack access to adequate nutrition, clean water, shelter, sanitation, and basic healthcare.

The International Handbook of Women and Poverty is an innovative, collaborative project by leading experts in poverty. Scholars from around the globe explore the dynamics of women and poverty in their respective countries and highlight local social justice initiatives. Topical coverage ranges from child marriage and teenage pregnancy to violence and war to climate change. The result is a handbook that explores how poverty and inequality vary by country, region, continent, and level of development. It is an essential reference work for anyone who seeks to understand the feminization of poverty.

Sheila M. Katz is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Houston and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies affiliated faculty. She is the author of Reformed American Dreams: Welfare Mothers, Higher Education, and Activism (Rutgers 2019).

Laura Livesey holds a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Houston and currently serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Sociology at the University of Houston-Downtown and Houston City College.