Poverty may have declined, but women and female-headed households still suffer most

12th May 2014 By: Econ3x3

Poverty may have declined, but women and female-headed households still suffer most

Amidst a decline in general poverty rates since 2000, women and people living in female-headed households still are significantly worse off. Women are up to 30% poorer than men on average. There is an even larger poverty gap between female- and male-headed households – a difference of as much as 100%, despite improved education, health and basic services. Better health, water and sanitation services, especially in rural areas, should narrow these gaps significantly.

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Written by Michael Rogan, Senior Researcher, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Rhodes University

This article was first published on the Econ3x3 website – Accessible policy-relevant research and expert commentaries on unemployment and employment, income distribution and inclusive growth in South Africa.