The middle years for women are often described as being a time of
increased risks for emotional, physical, and financial problems. Although some of these problems are realistic, studies have found that
many women, especially middle- and upper-class White women, expe
rience a better quality of life at this time. This mixed situation calls
for an alternative perspective on midlife women to counter myths and
stereotypes and to acknowledge that sexism, racism, and poverty hinder midlife women of color from improving the quality of their lives.
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