LOGIT APPROACH TO GENDER AND POVERTY IN SELECTED AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

The rate of poverty in developing countries, especially in African countries, has been alarming in recent years with the proportion of people living on less than a dollar per day increasing. The current widening dimensions of poverty and general economic problems signify that a high level of income inequality exists in many sub-Saharan African countries although disparities exist between countries and regions. Furthermore, poverty has been indeed feminised. Despite the vital role women play in society, there has been an increase in the proportion of women within the poverty cycle compared to men. Using microdata from the Afrobarometer website, these conjectures were examined with their impact on economic development as a whole. The result of the logit approach conducted on four selected regions consisting of 36 countries shows that good economic condition reduces the incidence of poverty while access to medical treatment, age, and education (primary and secondary) increases poverty in the selected region. This study also came up with policy prescriptions that will help in eradicating inequality and poverty in particular.