Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/282768 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16641
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Various challenges are thought to render female-headed households (FHHs) vulnerable to poverty in the Arab region. Yet, previous studies have mixed results and despite the availability of cross-sectional data, the absence of household panel survey data hinders analysis of poverty dynamics. We address these challenges by proposing a novel typology of FHHs and analyze synthetic panels that we constructed from 20 rounds of repeated cross-sectional surveys spanning the past two decades from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Mauritania, Palestine, and Tunisia. We find that the definition of FHHs matters for measuring poverty levels and dynamics. Most types of FHHs are less poor, but FHHs with a major share of female adults are generally poorer. FHHs are more likely to escape poverty than households on average, but FHHs without children are most likely to do so. While more children are generally associated with more poverty for FHHs, there is heterogeneity across countries is addition to heterogeneity across FHH measures. Our findings provide useful inputs for social protection and employment programs aiming at reducing gender inequalities and poverty in the Arab region.
Subjects: 
poverty
feminization
female-headedness typology
synthetic panels
Arab region
household surveys
JEL: 
I3
J16
N35
O1
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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