Question

Read the following statements:
(1) Throughout the developing world, poverty rates among households headed by women are higher than those headed by men.
(2) The greater ‘investment value’ associated with the survival of boys in a household in comparison with girls leads to discrimination against girl children and adult women.
(3) The unequal allocation of resources within households results in differential allotments of nutrition and healthcare that reflect the perceived inferior short-term and long-term value of females.
(4) In all transitional economies, an increase in prostitution and trafficking of women has been observed.
The above statements are all examples of

• A. the ‘feminisation of poverty’ thesis.
• B. labour market informalisation.
• C. the ‘culture of poverty’ thesis.
• D. differences in bargaining power between advanced and transitional economies.

Hint:

The feminisation of poverty highlights how economic and social structures systematically place women at a higher risk of poverty than men.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the core idea behind the statements.
All four statements focus on gender-based disadvantages faced by women, particularly in terms of poverty, resource allocation, survival, and exploitation in transitional economies.
Step 2: Explanation of the ‘feminisation of poverty’ thesis.
The feminisation of poverty thesis argues that women disproportionately experience poverty due to structural inequalities such as unequal access to resources, discrimination within households, labour market inequalities, and increased vulnerability during economic transitions.
Step 3: Matching statements with the concept.
Higher poverty among female-headed households, preference for male children, unequal nutrition and healthcare, and increased trafficking are all well-documented outcomes discussed under the feminisation of poverty framework.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Therefore, all the given statements are best explained by the feminisation of poverty thesis.