The Impact of Protracted Displacement on Syrian Refugees in Jordan : The Evolution of Household Composition and Poverty Rates

This paper examines the influence of gender inequality on poverty among Syrian refugees in Jordan between 2013 and 2018. Two waves of Home-Visit surveys, collected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, are analyzed to track the evolution of poverty among Syrian refugees in Jordan. To compare changes in poverty between female- and male-headed households, the paper uses relative comparisons of deciles in the expenditure distribution and quantile regressions. The analysis adjusts the poverty measure for economies of scale as the cost per person of maintaining a given standard of living may fall as household size rises. The findings show that the spending distribution has shifted over time, negatively affecting female-headed households. In 2013, female-headed households below the median had lower expenditure than male-headed households. In 2018, this pattern occurs in all deciles. The findings also show small differences between poverty rates of female- and male-headed households whether the poverty measure is adjusted for economies of scale or not. Regardless of the poverty measure, the poverty gender gap has increased over time, with female-headed households experiencing poverty more intensely. Female single caregivers remain at the most risk of falling into poverty when compared with other types of households and over time. This approach can help policy makers design more effective programs of assistance that respond to gender-based differences in vulnerability to poverty and find durable solutions for displaced populations.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Santamaria, Julieth, Hanmer, Lucia, Rubiano, Eliana
Format: Working Paper biblioteca
Language:English
English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2022-09
Subjects:REFUGEES, GENDER INEQUALITY, POVERTY, VULNERABILITY, FORCED DISPLACEMENT, GENDERED POVERTY RATE, POVERTY AMONG DISPLACED WIDOWS, DISPLACED WOMEN, DISPLACED CHILDREN,
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099250409282223871/IDU09255bc810bc80040cc0af720695baf8494ae
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/38087
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