‘빈곤의 여성화’가 전 세계적인 문제로 대두된 이후, 서구 선진국가들의 빈곤 정책에서 여성의 고용 여부는 탈빈곤의 결정적 요인으로 간주되고 있으며, 특히 여성 가구주의 고용은 빈곤을 감소시키는 데 강력한 효과를 발휘하였다고 평가되고 있다. 그러나 여성 고용은 가족 불안정이나 노동시장에서의 불안정에서 오는 위험들에 있어 해독제의 역할을 하나, 이때 강조해야만 하는 사회 정책의 주요 문제는 사회 서비스, 즉 사회적 보살핌이었다. 이러한 인식에 기초해 본 연구에서는 서구 선진사회의 탈빈곤 정책에서 여성을 주 대상으로 하는 움직임을 읽어 내는 것이 한국 빈곤 정책의 새로운 방향을 잡는 데 도움이 될 수 있을 것이라는 가정하에 ‘빈곤의 여성화’의 한국적 상황을 가구주의 증가와 그에 동반한 빈곤화 현상, 여성의 경제적 취약성의 문제, 사회보장제도 내에서 여성이 어떻게 배제되어 있는가를 중심으로 살펴보았다. 이러한 분석을 가지고 한국 사회 탈여성빈곤 정책의 방향으로 다음의 세 가지를 제시하였다. 첫째, ‘포용의 사회복지정책’으로 정부 정책에서 빈곤 수준을 현실화하는 작업이 선행되어야 하고, 둘째, 탈여성빈곤을 위한 경제정책은 ‘빈곤여성을 위한 소득 유지 정책’과 ‘사회적 일자리 창출과 교육․직업 훈련 정책’으로 나누어 추진되어야 하며, 셋째, ‘보살핌의 사회화’로 저소득 가구와 여성 가구주를 위한 더 많은 사회 보호 서비스는 빈곤을 극복하는 데 핵심적인 도구이고, 여성의 탈빈곤을 위해서는 이들에게 사회적 서비스를 제공하는 것에 복지의 우위성을 두어야 함을 강조하였다.

Since ‘Feminization of Poverty’ become as a world-wide problem, women's employment status has been regarded as a decisive factor for overcoming poverty in poverty policies of western advanced nations. Especially, employments of women who are heads of household are evaluated having strong effects on decreasing poverty. Although women's employment works as an antidote for risks from family instability or insecurity of employment market, the important main issue is social service, social care, at this point. Based on the assumption that understanding ‘overcoming poverty policies’ of western advanced countries helps making direction of Korean poverty policy, this study examined Korean situation of ‘Feminization of Poverty’ with the poverty situation from increase of the heads of households, women's economic vulnerability problem, and women's exclusion in social security system. This study indicates the following three directions as Women's ‘overcoming poverty policy’ in Korean society . First, realization of poverty level as ‘comprehensive social security policy’ in government policy should be done. Second, economic policy for ‘women's overcoming poverty’ should drive forward to both ‘income preservation policy for women in poverty’ and ‘making social employment and job education·training policy’. Last, more social services for low income household and women who are heads of household with ‘caring socialization’ are essential instruments to overcome poverty. Also providing social services for these people should be socially superior in social security system for women's overcoming poverty.

Since ‘Feminization of Poverty’ become as a world-wide problem, women's employment status has been regarded as a decisive factor for overcoming poverty in poverty policies of western advanced nations. Especially, employments of women who are heads of household are evaluated having strong effects on decreasing poverty. Although women's employment works as an antidote for risks from family instability or insecurity of employment market, the important main issue is social service, social care, at this point. Based on the assumption that understanding ‘overcoming poverty policies’ of western advanced countries helps making direction of Korean poverty policy, this study examined Korean situation of ‘Feminization of Poverty’ with the poverty situation from increase of the heads of households, women's economic vulnerability problem, and women's exclusion in social security system. This study indicates the following three directions as Women's ‘overcoming poverty policy’ in Korean society . First, realization of poverty level as ‘comprehensive social security policy’ in government policy should be done. Second, economic policy for ‘women's overcoming poverty’ should drive forward to both ‘income preservation policy for women in poverty’ and ‘making social employment and job education·training policy’. Last, more social services for low income household and women who are heads of household with ‘caring socialization’ are essential instruments to overcome poverty. Also providing social services for these people should be socially superior in social security system for women's overcoming poverty.

caring socialization, feminization of poverty, feminine house-holder, overcoming poverty policy, social welfare policy of tolerance