Gender and Extreme Poverty

While many data gaps remain, we know that women are vulnerable to extreme poverty because they face greater burdens of unpaid work, have fewer assets and productive resources than men, are exposed to gender-based violence (GBV), and are more likely to be forced into early marriage —all factors that reduce their ability to participate fully in the economy and to reap the benefits of growth. This paper begins with a discussion of these factors and how they predispose women to extreme poverty. It then presents opportunities for reducing women’s extreme poverty through gender-sensitive programming in three key sectors: agriculture, education, and reproductive health. It outlines the challenges inherent in this type of work, including a need to better connect how sector-specific outcomes—which reflect improvements in women’s lives—also contribute to poverty reduction. Recommendations for moving forward include considering the unique links between gender and extreme poverty early in the project design process, taking into consideration underlying cultural practices and gender norms, and collecting rigorous, sex-disaggregated data to evaluate the effects of interventions on women.