Gender differences in multidimensional material deprivation a comparative analysis of the role of household composition and education level

While there is abundant literature demonstrating gender differences in material deprivation, thus far we know less about how to explain these differences. It is often assumed that single parent households led by women, might experience a higher risk of poverty, while in numerous countries women also...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marc Hooghe, Chloé De Grauwe, Dieter Stiers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Heliyon
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025018419
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Summary:While there is abundant literature demonstrating gender differences in material deprivation, thus far we know less about how to explain these differences. It is often assumed that single parent households led by women, might experience a higher risk of poverty, while in numerous countries women also receive fewer education opportunities than men. The literature on gender disparities in material deprivation in any case suggests it is important to take the individual as an observation unit, and not the household, as routinely happens in official statistics. In this paper, we rely on a parsimonious multidimensional material deprivation scale that was included in the 7th wave of the World Values Survey, covering 56 different societies. The results of our multilevel analysis indicate that when women are the main wage earner in a household, the risk of material deprivation is substantially higher. Gender gaps in wages are associated with a much higher risk of material deprivation for women, especially if they also have a partner with a (very) low income level.
ISSN:2405-8440