Gender & poverty reduction in Europe & CIS

Gender & Poverty Reduction

Addressing and combating poverty is a concern for multiple sectors and needs to be integrated into several programmes and policies. At the same time, it is important to examine poverty as an issue in its own right, particularly in regard to the conceptual and methodological frameworks that guide the development and implementation of poverty alleviation initiatives. On the other side, gender equality is a crucial dimension of human development as such. In many societies, impoverishment is deeper in female-headed households and among women, particularly older women. Women also often have fewer economic and political opportunities to improve their well-being and that of their families.

Men and women tend to experience poverty differently: Their poverty is likely to be caused by different factors, they will adopt different coping strategies, and the social and economic impact upon them will vary. In addition, the processes by which men and women enter and exit poverty are not the same. Clearly, poverty is a gendered phenomenon and as such it will be better explained if seen from a broader perspective. The way poverty is understood often determines the role that gender plays in poverty alleviation programmes and strategies. A very narrow understanding of poverty will not reveal the complex interplay of different factors that cause gender inequality. Thus, the gendered nature of poverty may not be adequately addressed at the policy level. If being poor means lack of income and restrictions in consumption of goods and services (“consumption and income poverty”), then gender analysis of poverty will be limited to comparisons of income levels. Other aspects related to gender and poverty will be neglected, especially in the context of responsibilities and capabilities in consumption patterns.