What is it about?
The main purpose of this study was to examine feminization of poverty in urban areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The paper used Alkire Foster multidimensional poverty approach and compared the wellbeing of female headed households with their male headed counterparts. The study utilized data compiled from demographic and health surveys (DHSs) of selected SSA countries, namely Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda and Tanzania. It applied multilevel mixed effect logistic regression model to analyze the effect of household and country level variables on the incidence of multidimensional poverty on the two household structures separately. The study confirmed that female headed households were poorer than male headed households. Among household level variables having access to finance, higher level of education the household head completed, age of the household head, having smaller families size and being employed have positive and significant effect on multidimensional wellbeing of households. Moreover, expenditures on primary school and health significantly reduce the incidence of multidimensional poverty. The effects of these micro and macro variables are found to be different for the two household structures. Therefore, anti-poverty policies and programs should be targeted in a way they mitigate differences in household characteristics in favor of female-headed households.
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Why is it important?
The study confirmed that female headed households are multidimensionally poorer than male headed households. Among household level variables having access to finance, higher level of education the household head completed, age of the household head, having smaller families size and being employed have positive and significant effect on multidimensional wellbeing of households. Moreover, expenditures on primary school and health significantly reduce the incidence of multidimensional poverty. The effects of these micro and macro variables are found to be different for the two household structures. Therefore, anti-poverty policies and programs should be targeted in a way they mitigate differences in household characteristics in favor of female-headed households.
Perspectives
I was motivated to conduct this research by my personal experience. I was raised by a single mom and always wondered why most of the households headed by single moms are poor and what can be done to reverse this reality because I knew it was not because these women are lazy or something. on the completion of this research I learnt that the problem is deep rooted in to the socio-economic status that is biased against women and the solution solutions shall too be targeted to minimize the existing gap of opportunities between thye two genders.
Mr Amlaksetegn Zenebe Edeo
Jinka University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Feminization of multidimensional urban poverty in sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence from selected countries, African Development Review, December 2020, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/1467-8268.12466.
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