Older household headship Older household headship and gendered pattern of and gendered pattern of poverty: Evidence from poverty: Evidence from

Thailand, 1988-2004Thailand, 1988-2004

Malee SunpuwanMalee SunpuwanTarget journal: Asia Pacific Target journal: Asia Pacific

Population JournalPopulation Journal

IntroductionIntroduction Why household headship is important?Why household headship is important?

• Socioeconomic dominanceSocioeconomic dominance Why concerned with gender of household Why concerned with gender of household

headship?headship?• Women almost everywhere are Women almost everywhere are

disadvantaged relative to mendisadvantaged relative to men• Feminization of poverty is linked with Feminization of poverty is linked with

feminization of household headship feminization of household headship Why concerned with older household headship?Why concerned with older household headship?

• Growing of aging population and older Growing of aging population and older household headshiphousehold headship

Household Headship in ThailandHousehold Headship in Thailand 1988-20041988-2004

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

Male heads with age <60 66.2 65.8 65.6 61.1 59.3 58.2 55.9 54.3 51.7

Female heads with age <60 15.8 15.0 15.1 16.0 16.9 17.3 19.0 20.2 21.9

Male heads with age >=60 11.9 12.5 12.6 14.5 15.0 15.2 15.7 15.5 15.6

Female heads with age >=60 6.1 6.7 6.6 8.4 8.8 9.3 9.4 10.0 10.9

1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Contradictory empirical Contradictory empirical findingsfindings

Female-headed households are worse Female-headed households are worse off than their male counterpartsoff than their male counterparts

Widowed female- headed households Widowed female- headed households are economically worse off than their are economically worse off than their male counterparts male counterparts

There is no economically significant There is no economically significant difference between male and female difference between male and female headed-households headed-households

Research questionsResearch questions

how does household poverty of how does household poverty of older female-headed household older female-headed household differ from older male-headed differ from older male-headed household?household?

how do other factors (e.g. how do other factors (e.g. characteristics of household characteristics of household heads and household heads and household characteristics) influence older characteristics) influence older household poverty?household poverty?

DataData

The country representative The country representative data from the Household data from the Household Socioeconomic Survey 1988 Socioeconomic Survey 1988 – 2004– 2004

Collected by the National Collected by the National Statistical Office every two Statistical Office every two yearsyears

MethodMethod

Poverty line which Poverty line which constructed by the the Office constructed by the the Office of National Economic and of National Economic and Social Development Broad Social Development Broad (NESDB).(NESDB).

•average per capita income average per capita income Pooled logistic regressionPooled logistic regression

Older household poverty by gender of Older household poverty by gender of household headhousehold head

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

Older male heads 38.3 34.1 29.7 27.7 19.9 23.0 22.1 17.7 14.5

Older female heads 35.9 33.3 26.5 22.9 21.2 20.8 17.9 13.3 13.2

Total 37.4 33.8 28.5 25.9 20.4 22.2 20.5 15.9 14.0

1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Results of Logistic Results of Logistic Regression Regression

There is no significant difference in There is no significant difference in poverty between male and female poverty between male and female older households older households

Other variables that contribute in Other variables that contribute in explaining older household poverty explaining older household poverty are: education and occupation of are: education and occupation of household heads, household size, household heads, household size, Ratio of non-worker to worker, Ratio of non-worker to worker, household debt and residential household debt and residential areas areas

Discussion and Discussion and conclusionconclusion

support some findings from previous support some findings from previous studies in Thailand which found that studies in Thailand which found that elderly males and females are not elderly males and females are not significantly difference in terms of significantly difference in terms of economic measures (Knodel & Chayovan, economic measures (Knodel & Chayovan, 2008; Sobieszczyk, Knodel, & Chayovan, 2008; Sobieszczyk, Knodel, & Chayovan, 2003). 2003).

seem to disagree with a concept of seem to disagree with a concept of feminization of poverty. feminization of poverty.

women and men statuses in Thailand are women and men statuses in Thailand are not much difference (Limanonda, 2000; not much difference (Limanonda, 2000; Richter, 1992; Richter & Havanon, 1994; Richter, 1992; Richter & Havanon, 1994; Yoddumnern-Attig, 1992). Yoddumnern-Attig, 1992).

Further study on longitudinal analysis Further study on longitudinal analysis should be considered. should be considered.