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    Women-Headed Households: Poorest of the Poor?

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    IDSB_28_3_10.1111-j.1759-5436.1997.mp28003003.x.pdf (383.2Kb)
    Date
    01/07/1997
    Author
    Chant, Sylvia
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    Abstract
    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.
    URI
    https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/9205
    Citation
    Chant, S. (1997) Women-Headed Households: Poorest of the Poor? IDS Bulletin 28(3): 26-48
    DOI
    10.1111/j.1759-5436.1997.mp28003003.x
    Is part of series
    IDS Bulletin Vol. 28 Nos. 3
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    © 1997 Institue of Development Studies
    Rights details
    http://www.ids.ac.uk/files/dmfile/IDSOpenDocsStandardTermsOfUse.pdf
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    • Volume 28, Issue 3 [12]

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