LIVING CONDITIONS OF FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN INDIA: DISTRIBUTION OF BASIC ASSETS AND AMENITIES
Abstract
Gender is a defining factor for various differences in the society, intersecting across all social, economic and political categories of people. Women being called as the “second sex” have forever been under the shadow of the men across the world. South Asian countries like India bare the “double disadvantage” of being a woman of a patriarchal society in a poor economy. A rising cases of female headed households is of great concern as it effects economic conditions overall. Poverty is a common phenomenon among females and basic assets and amenities in the household reflects the living conditions and also the economic conditions of the household. Women in various caste groups and regions have differential accessibility to consumption due to the diversity in socio-cultural practice and constructs throughout the world. The paper thus makes use of the data on “assets and amenities of female headed household” published by the Census of India 2011 to observe the inter caste and regional differences among female headed households in India reflecting upon their living conditions.
Keyword : Female headed household, living condition, poverty, accessibility, assets and amenities.
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