TY - JOUR
T1 - An Individual Level Test of the "Feminization of Poverty" Hypothesis
T2 - Evidence from Ghana
AU - Owusu-Afriyie, John
AU - Nketiah-Amponsah, Edward
PY - 2014/3
Y1 - 2014/3
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - FGT
KW - Ghana
KW - education
KW - gender
KW - inequality
KW - poverty
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896041017&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0169796X13516351
DO - 10.1177/0169796X13516351
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84896041017
SN - 0169-796X
VL - 30
SP - 25
EP - 43
JO - Journal of Developing Societies
JF - Journal of Developing Societies
IS - 1
ER -