Women and Poverty: Rural-Urban Dimensions

Abstract

This paper focuses on the gender dimensions of poverty with analysis of rural and urban area specific variations. What are the implications of poverty on women’s lives? Is the impact of poverty on women distinct? In what ways are poor women more vulnerable? So far, the focus has been on rural poverty, with more recent shifts towards the concerns of urban poor. Is urban poverty a spillover of rural poor through migration? What are the characteristic features of urban poverty and how do they differ from rural poverty, especially in terms of the implications for women’s lives. Does the association of female headed households with poverty hold true in the Indian context? How different are the characteristics of female heads in rural and urban areas and what are its implications on poverty among such households? This is examined through an analysis of female headed households over time across rural-urban areas in terms of their marital status, educational levels and employment status.