Feminization of poverty refers to the presence of poverty within female-headed households. Feminization of poverty is a specific term that encompasses the intersectionality of gender, class, socioeconomics, and culture to refer to the experiences and measure of how women experience poverty. This entry briefly introduces the history of the feminization of poverty, social and cultural contributions to the development of the term feminization of poverty, causes and risk factors that contribute to the feminization of poverty, and the feminization of poverty as a global phenomenon.