Methodologies for gender-sensitive and pro-poor poverty measures

Abstract

This chapter seeks to provide a gender- sensitive critique of both income- based and multidimensional definitions and measures of poverty. The first section examines the ways in which income- based measures are insensitive to the gendered dimensions of poverty. The second section examines multidimensional approaches, suggesting that to date the opportunity to capture and deepen understanding of the various ways in which women and men experience poverty has been missed. The third section outlines existing multidimensional measures of poverty, while the final section maps out the ways in which we might conceptualise and operationalise methodologies for gender- sensitive measures of poverty, capable of reflecting the experiences of women and men.