First, women are more likely to live in poverty during their retirement years than are men.

I grew up with an extremely abusive father. As a mother, I wanted to protect my own children from exposure to violence. When I found out one of my daughters was in an abusive relationship, it broke my heart. Finally, she left him ?- but only after his abuse started spreading to the children.

Social Security is a plan that actually was designed in a much different time, in a different era, and with a different set of American demographics in mind.

As is the case with many Middle Eastern nations, women are nowhere near equal to men when it comes to basic freedoms and rights that we take for granted every day.

In fact, Social Security is the only source of income nationwide for 29 percent of unmarried elderly women.

If a woman did not work and have the opportunity to save and invest on her own throughout her lifetime, she is often totally reliant on her family and Social Security for her retirement years.

Under the current pay-as-you-go Social Security system, not one person is actually guaranteed benefits.