A new report released earlier this week says that one in 10 Alberta children live in poverty.

According to statistics from Public Interest Alberta, there were 84,000 children living in poverty in Alberta in 2011.

The report recommends reducing poverty in Alberta by implementing several measures, some of which include the introduction of a provincial child tax benefit and raising Alberta’s minimum wage.

The report touches on the historic inequalities and vulnerabilities facing women, which impact a child’s risk of living in poverty.

Child poverty is higher in lone parent families, which is significant because women head 80 per cent of lone parent households.

“Single mothers are particularly vulnerable to poverty as they tend to have weak links to the labour market or are precariously employed,” the report says.

“When facing these circumstances, it is difficult to find continuous work and adequate child care, while juggling their domestic responsibilities as caregivers.”

Single mothers face multiple barriers to achieving financial stability:

• More women work in part-time and casual positions than men, usually for lower pay without benefits, little security and consequently failing to meet eligibility criteria for various income supports and benefits

• A two-tiered minimum wage system in Alberta allows employers to pay those who serve liquor as part of their job – 80 per cent of whom are women – to earn nearly $1.00 less per hour than those who sling coffee

• The effect of precarious employment for women has consequences as we age, since public and private pensions are primarily based on earnings

• Women in Alberta still earn just 68 cents on the dollar – that’s 2nd to worst in Canada – compared to our male counterparts

A child’s risk of living in poverty is directly linked to the mother’s ability to gain sustainable and appropriate employment.

As a result, the YWCA of Calgary is currently advocating with the Government of Alberta to ensure that as the provincial poverty reduction strategy is developed, there is a commitment to overt gendered analysis.