UNDP-以妇女为重点的多维贫困指数：为拉丁美洲和加勒比提出的建议（英）-2023.6-12页_622kb

Summary of the Multidimensional Poverty Index Focused on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean

Background and Objectives

The report proposes a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) with a gender-specific focus to better understand and address women's poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It emphasizes that conventional poverty measures focusing solely on income overlook key aspects of women's experiences, such as unpaid care work, discrimination, and barriers to economic autonomy. The goal is to accurately analyze women's multidimensional poverty, identify specific bottlenecks, and inform gender-sensitive policy recommendations. The analysis draws from 10 LAC countries.

Methodology

The MPI was developed using the Alkire and Foster methodology, adapted to include dimensions relevant to women's poverty. Five dimensions were selected: Health and care services, Education and household composition, Economic autonomy, Access to ICTs, and Housing and access to basic services. Ten indicators were included after ensuring data availability in household surveys. Data was sourced from around 2019 household surveys, with women aged 18+ as the unit of analysis. A 40% cut-off point was used to classify multidimensional poverty, assigning equal weight to dimensions for simplicity.

Key Findings

• Approximately 28% of women in the analyzed countries are multidimensionally poor, with high variations: Uruguay and Chile have the lowest incidence (~4-10%), while Honduras and El Salvador exceed 62%. Urban-rural disparities are significant, with rural women facing higher poverty rates.
• Poverty intensity (average deprivation share) is around 48%, meaning poor women experience multiple deprivations across indicators.
• Major deprivations include unfavorable working conditions (e.g., informal jobs, unpaid domestic work), lack of access to the internet, and inadequate housing or basic services. Violence and care-related issues are highlighted as critical barriers.
• Country-specific results vary, with LAC-specific challenges emphasizing gendered poverty drivers not captured in standard MPIs.

Recommendations and Conclusions

Three approaches are recommended: (1) Develop a standalone women-focused MPI for comprehensive monitoring; (2) Incorporate new gender-sensitive indicators into existing household surveys; (3) Analyze national MPIs through gender-disaggregated data. The index can support UNDP's 2022–2025 Gender Equality Strategy by improving policy targeting for social protection, education, and women's rights. However, practical limitations due to data availability require adaptation at national levels and integration with other data sources for full implementation.