世界银行-拉丁美洲和加勒比地区的性别与贫困_生命周期分析（英）-2025.11_45页_707kb

Summary: Gender and Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean

Core Content

This paper explores gender disparities in poverty across the life cycle in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) using harmonized household survey data. It highlights how poverty is not evenly distributed between men and women, particularly during key life stages such as reproductive years and family formation.

Main Findings

• Gendered Poverty Penalty: Women face a higher likelihood of poverty compared to men, especially during their prime productive and reproductive years (25–49 years old), with the gap reaching up to 7 percentage points for individuals aged 25–35.
• Increase Over Time: The gender poverty gap has widened over the past 15 years, becoming more pronounced in certain age groups.
• Children as a Key Driver: The presence of young children (especially those aged 0–5) significantly increases the likelihood of poverty in a household. This is attributed to the intensive caregiving responsibilities that limit adults' ability to engage in income-generating activities.
• Household Composition: Single-mother households and those with no or sole earners are particularly vulnerable to poverty. Women are overrepresented in these configurations, especially in households with children.
• Life Cycle Stages: The gender poverty gap emerges and widens during specific life stages:
  • Group 1: 23–28 years old, in households with children aged 0–5
  • Group 2: 41–45 years old, in households with children aged 0–5
  • Group 3: 29–39 years old, in households with children aged 6–12
  • Group 4: 31–50 years old, in households with no children

Key Determinants of the Gender Poverty Gap

• Observable Factors: The paper identifies household composition and individual characteristics (such as education, location, and marital status) as important in explaining some of the poverty gap.
• Unobserved Factors: A significant portion of the gender poverty gap is unexplained, suggesting the role of discrimination, unequal distribution of unpaid care work, and structural inequalities in labor markets.
• Life Cycle Implications: The poverty gap is more persistent for women during their reproductive years, especially when they are in households with younger children.

Methodology

• Data Source: The study uses the Socio-Economic Database for Latin America and the Caribbean (SEDLAC), which includes harmonized data from 15 countries (covering around 86% of the LAC population).
• Poverty Measurement: Poverty is measured using a per-capita daily income normalized to 2017 PPP USD. If a household’s per-capita income is below the $6.85 USD poverty line, all members are considered poor.
• Household Typologies: The paper introduces two typologies:
  • Demographic Composition: Differentiates between adult couples, single-headed households, and other configurations.
  • Economic Composition: Focuses on the number and presence of income earners and dependents.
• Decomposition Technique: The Kitagawa-Binder-Oaxaca (KBO) decomposition is used to break down the poverty gap into explained (observable characteristics) and unexplained (unobserved factors and discrimination) components.

Conclusion

The gendered poverty penalty in LAC is a result of both structural and unobserved factors. While household composition and individual characteristics play a role, the unexplained portion—likely due to discrimination and unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities—accounts for most of the gap. The study underscores the importance of understanding these differences to design more effective poverty alleviation programs that address gender-specific challenges throughout the life cycle.