Discrimination against black working women

Black working women experience the double humiliation of discrimination because they are women, and discrimination because they are black. They are often (due to discrimination that begins with poverty, education and lack of opportunities) forced to do menial jobs (due to lack of skills); take employment as domestics (which means long hours and low wages); work in industry (where the pay is low, the benefits often non-existent, and the work conditions deplorable); or take work in the agricultural sector, where they are exploited as casual workers.

85% of black women live below the poverty line, even while earning two salaries a month. Illiteracy is as high as 48% among black women, double the figure for white women.