Gender-based Poverty Disparity

Abstract

The comprehensive study and understanding of the term “Feminization of poverty” can be approached by dealing with the three contributing factors that have been underscored in the women in development and gender and development literature. (1) the growth of the female headed households. (2) intra- household inequalities and discrimination against women and girls and (3) neo-liberal economic policies, including structural adjustments and post socialist market transitions. The increasing trend of women’s poverty is often argued is rooted in demographic indices, “social and political” aspects. The paper analyzes the cross regional differences in the economic status of female headed households, interlinked with social and political regime and partly on women’s right to employment and property. The vulnerability of women is exacerbated by the social, political and economic regimes. This problem is most severe in the parts of South Asia and it varies by different social classes. This paper analyzes the impact of neo-liberal structuring, which has been severe on women. The disadvantageous position of women is incontestable. If poverty is studied and examined as the denial of human rights, then women are the worst affected- first on account of gender discrimination and second on account of poverty. The lack of programs to annihilate poverty is marked by the less attention towards gender discrimination and women’s human rights.