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Gender, caste and poverty in India: evidence from the National Family Health Survey
Authors: William D. Lastrapes, Ramaprasad Rajaram, William D. Lastrapes, and Ramaprasad Rajaram
Source: Eurasian Economic Review, 6(2): 153–171; doi:10.1007/s40822-015-0043-4
Topic(s): Gender
Inequality
Poverty
Country: Asia
  India
Published: AUG 2016
Abstract: This paper estimates the effects of gender and social caste on poverty in India using measures of household wealth from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Our asset-based measures of poverty are conceptually different than official measures based on consumption expenditures. For the period 2005–2006, we find that female-headed households and households belonging to marginalized social classes are more likely to be poor than their counterparts. Whether a household belongs to marginalized social class is more strongly associated with poverty than the gender of the household head. Keywords Poverty, Female headed households, Gender inequality, Social caste