The gender asset and wealth gaps: evidence from Ecuador, Ghana, and Karnataka, India
Description
Ownership, access to, and control over productive assets are critical to the well-being of individuals and households, as assets generate income, facilitate access to credit, provide a store of wealth, and help households cope with economic shocks. They also play a vital role in enabling poor households to move out of poverty. Despite this importance, most asset data have traditionally been collected at the household level, which obscures individual ownership patterns and limits analysis—especially along gender lines. Recent research shows that individual and household well-being do not necessarily align, with gender emerging as a key differentiating factor. The Gender Asset Gap Project addresses this gap by collecting individual-level asset ownership data from Ecuador, Ghana, and the Indian state of Karnataka, offering nationally representative insights in Ecuador and Ghana and state-level evidence in India. The findings highlight significant gender disparities in asset and wealth ownership, demonstrating the importance of measuring ownership at an individual level. Promoting equal access to assets is essential not only for equity but also for empowerment, as evidence shows that assets in women’s hands enhance decision-making power, improve household welfare, benefit children’s health and well-being, and may reduce vulnerability to domestic violence. These results underscore the importance of strengthening women’s property rights and using asset ownership as a policy lever to promote gender equality and inclusive development.
Copyright Date
January 2011
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Pagination
25p.
Publisher
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Keywords
Gender asset, Wealth gaps, Ownership, Livestock, Agriculture
