An Individual Level Test of the "Feminization of Poverty" Hypothesis: Evidence from Ghana
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Date
2014
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Developing Societies
Abstract
Feminization of poverty is a hypothesis that postulates that women experience
poverty at higher rates than men. Over the years, empirical examination of
this hypothesis has relied on the comparison between poverty status of female-headed
and male-headed households due to lack of gender disaggregated data
in many household surveys. However, the use of poverty among female-headed
households as a representative measure of women’s poverty masks the extent of
poverty among women. Hence, this study uses individual gender disaggregated data
from the Ghana Living Standards Surveys IV and V (GLSS IV and V) and the
Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT) classes of poverty measure to empirically test
the “feminization of poverty” hypothesis in Ghana. The study also finds out whether
this hypothesis is affected by the education level of the individual.
The article finds that “feminization of poverty” is prevalent at all three levels
of FGT poverty measures. The result further indicates that when education is
taken into consideration, “feminization of poverty” is found to be prevalent only
amongst the no education and primary education cohorts while masculinization
of poverty is rather found among the secondary and tertiary education cohorts.
Generally, in terms of the dynamic changes in “feminization of poverty,” the study
finds that over the last two sets of surveys (GLSS IV and V), the phenomenon has
reduced. Based on the results, we recommend that measures that target education
as a tool for combating poverty should be strengthened amongst females whilst
non-educational tools for combating poverty should target males.
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Keywords
gender, poverty, inequality, education, FGT