I would like to emphasize that there is increasing poverty for women in rural communities, and many feel their solution is to leave their rural community. The huge gaps and holes in the social security network, which is no longer a network, are causing incredible barriers for women who are poor, either chronically poor or situationally poor. It's very difficult for them to get out of poverty and to use the good skills and abilities they have for the benefit of their families and communities. It's a net loss to our communities.
I echo the need for a rural policy and the need for gender and place analysis in federal policy-making that really consults carefully with women and rural people about policies, so we can ensure that policies don't further depopulate and disadvantage both women and rural communities.