Women-Headed Households: Poorest of the Poor?:Perspectives from Mexico, Costa Rica and the Philippines
Year: 1997
Type: article
Abstract: Summaries Women-headed households are commonly regarded as the ‘poorest of the poor’. Not only do they seem to be disproportionately concentrated among low-income groups, but female headship itself is seen to exacerbate poverty. Yet a growing body of research on developing societies suggests that although poverty may precipitate the formation of female-headed households, and that some aspects of female headship can give rise to economic disadvantage, members of these units are not necessarily worse-off than people in male-headed domestic arrangements. With reference to case study material from Mexico, Costa Rica and the Philippines, this article argues that ‘poorest of the poor’ is a misleading stereotype for female-headed households, that we cannot generalise about female heads, and that examination of intra-household characteristics is essential for the understanding of economic vulnerability. The article also signposts the dangers of ‘poorest of the poor’ stereotyping for creating and/or reinforcing negative public images of, and attitudes towards, women-headed households.
Source: IDS Bulletin
Author: Sylvia Chant
Language: English
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Nuffield Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W2010144328