Changes in gender differences in household poverty in Kenya
AbstractGender poverty differences in households are likely to affect female-headed households more than male-headed households. This paper examined the evolution of the gender poverty rate gap and identified the factors that underlie differences in poverty rates between female-headed households and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Cogent Economics & Finance |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23322039.2023.2191455 |
| _version_ | 1797658375504265216 |
|---|---|
| author | Jared Masini Ichwara Tabitha W. Kiriti-Ng’ang’a Anthony Wambugu |
| author_facet | Jared Masini Ichwara Tabitha W. Kiriti-Ng’ang’a Anthony Wambugu |
| author_sort | Jared Masini Ichwara |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractGender poverty differences in households are likely to affect female-headed households more than male-headed households. This paper examined the evolution of the gender poverty rate gap and identified the factors that underlie differences in poverty rates between female-headed households and male-headed households using the most recent representative household surveys conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in 2005/06 and 2015/16. An extended Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis with nonlinear regression was performed. The findings indicate that poverty rates for female-headed households and male-headed households declined from 38.56 to 32.73% in 2005/06 to 30.23 and 26.04% in 2015/16, respectively. Although female-headed households (1.12) have a higher chance of falling into poverty than male-headed households (0.95), the decline in the poverty rate was higher for female-headed households (8.33%) than for male-headed households (6.69%). Therefore, the results do not support the feminization of poverty hypothesis in Kenya. Factors that have bridged the gender poverty gap include cash transfers that explain 11.02% of the gaps, literacy (53.97%), university education (10.39%), secondary education (40.84%), employment in public and private sectors (26.66%) and business employment (10.58%). Recommended policies include the implementation of the gender policy and affirmative action, enhancing literacy levels, and secondary and university enrolment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:58:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9206a8420985449e8490586ff75f880f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2332-2039 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:58:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Economics & Finance |
| spelling | doaj.art-9206a8420985449e8490586ff75f880f2023-10-17T10:51:06ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Economics & Finance2332-20392023-12-0111110.1080/23322039.2023.2191455Changes in gender differences in household poverty in KenyaJared Masini Ichwara0Tabitha W. Kiriti-Ng’ang’a1Anthony Wambugu2Department of Economics, Population and Development Studies/University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Economics, Population and Development Studies/University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Economics, Population and Development Studies/University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaAbstractGender poverty differences in households are likely to affect female-headed households more than male-headed households. This paper examined the evolution of the gender poverty rate gap and identified the factors that underlie differences in poverty rates between female-headed households and male-headed households using the most recent representative household surveys conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in 2005/06 and 2015/16. An extended Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis with nonlinear regression was performed. The findings indicate that poverty rates for female-headed households and male-headed households declined from 38.56 to 32.73% in 2005/06 to 30.23 and 26.04% in 2015/16, respectively. Although female-headed households (1.12) have a higher chance of falling into poverty than male-headed households (0.95), the decline in the poverty rate was higher for female-headed households (8.33%) than for male-headed households (6.69%). Therefore, the results do not support the feminization of poverty hypothesis in Kenya. Factors that have bridged the gender poverty gap include cash transfers that explain 11.02% of the gaps, literacy (53.97%), university education (10.39%), secondary education (40.84%), employment in public and private sectors (26.66%) and business employment (10.58%). Recommended policies include the implementation of the gender policy and affirmative action, enhancing literacy levels, and secondary and university enrolment.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23322039.2023.2191455gender differences; povertyfeminizationdecompositionhouseholdI32J16 |
| spellingShingle | Jared Masini Ichwara Tabitha W. Kiriti-Ng’ang’a Anthony Wambugu Changes in gender differences in household poverty in Kenya Cogent Economics & Finance gender differences; poverty feminization decomposition household I32 J16 |
| title | Changes in gender differences in household poverty in Kenya |
| title_full | Changes in gender differences in household poverty in Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Changes in gender differences in household poverty in Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in gender differences in household poverty in Kenya |
| title_short | Changes in gender differences in household poverty in Kenya |
| title_sort | changes in gender differences in household poverty in kenya |
| topic | gender differences; poverty feminization decomposition household I32 J16 |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23322039.2023.2191455 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jaredmasiniichwara changesingenderdifferencesinhouseholdpovertyinkenya AT tabithawkiritinganga changesingenderdifferencesinhouseholdpovertyinkenya AT anthonywambugu changesingenderdifferencesinhouseholdpovertyinkenya |