The word "妇孺" is formed by combining two characters: "妇", meaning woman, which in its simplified form is composed of the radical "女" (woman) and the component "彐" (a simplified derivative of "帚", broom), and "孺", meaning child, composed of the radical "子" (child) with "需" serving primarily as a phonetic element. Together, they create a compound term referring to women and children.