Personal Opinion Essay: Poverty In Canada

Over three billion people all over the world are living in poverty, with more than four million people experiencing this reality just in Canada. This means that these people have an everyday struggle just to sustain themselves with the basic necessities, on only a $1.25 a day, or less. A widespread issue such as this cannot be solely blamed on a lack of motivation or laziness. It is nearly impossible to say that in every situation the root of the problem is in the person themselves as everybody’s predicament is different. Poverty does not discriminate as anybody can become poor. It is determined by factors including personal circumstances, the economy, and the state of one’s health.
One contributing factor to poverty is personal circumstances as there are endless events that can happen in someone’s life, facing them with poverty. Having a devastating or unexpected situation occur is usually something that most people cannot control, and can happen to anybody. For example, divorce is something that can drastically affect both parties involved financially. After a study done by the National Longitudinal Surveys, it was discovered that 44% of women who were divorced fell into poverty and were three times as likely to be living in poverty compared to the women who stayed in their marriages Through a divorce, each person then only has their own income to depend on as the partners income is no longer there to help. Also, after a separation like this, each person is essentially starting over. …show more content…
Poverty does not only happen to certain people and not others as it does not matter who you are. Poverty does not discriminate as anyone can become poor. It is determined by personal circumstances, the economy and the state of one’s mental health. Therefore, it is not based on a lack of motivation or laziness, but a much bigger issue that we are all called to resolve as time goes