Determinants of Monetary Poverty among Female-Headed Households in Benin

This study investigates the impact of the gender of the household head on the determinants of monetary poverty in the Republic of Benin using data collected during the 1999 living standards measurement survey in the country's rural and urban areas. The results show that there has not been any feminization of poverty since 1995. In 1999, the incidence of poverty among female household heads was lower than that of their male-headed counterparts, but in some cities the poverty gap was higher. Based on these results, some suggestions are made in order to reduce the incidence of poverty in Benin.