How Women-Driven Initiatives Are Helping Young Mothers in Erie, PA

I read an interesting article about the state of poverty in Erie, Pennsylvania and how women are creating initiatives to help other women.  The initiatives are working towards creating scholarships for higher education, medical assistance, and programs to raise the self-esteem of young mothers to empower them to take charge of their lives.

The article, Erie Women Hold Key to Reduce Poverty, November 9, 2009,  reports that, "One out of four individuals and one out of five families live below the federal poverty rate." Teen pregnancy rates and young, single moms are considered a large part of the problem.  But here is what I really found interesting in this article.  Apparently, when these statistics were announced, there was a backlash of anger against teen moms.

The women of Erie responded, well, like mothers, and pointed out, that, "many single-parent pregnancies were the result of older men taking advantage of young girls. It doesn't matter whether the female consented to the sex. It's wrong for men in their 20s to engage in sex with young teens, and worse yet for them to desert the scene after the child is born."

What does not surprise me is that women, once again, are helping women rather than condemning them.  An often quoted stereotype suggests that "men are better problem solvers."  Hmmn.  Maybe men are more interested in cutting directly to the chase (bypassing the conventional wisdom women possess) but it is women entrepreneurs who are clearly the ones taking social issues by the horns and making positive changes.

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