The economic and demographic status of female-headed households in rural Botswana
Kossoudji, S.; Mueller, E.
Economic Development and Cultural Change 31(4): 831-860
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0013-0079 DOI: 10.2307/1153410Document Number: 394816
The major purpose of the paper is to analyze the demographic and economic status of female-headed households in a rural area in Africa where insufficient earnings, opportunities force many men to live and work away from home. The focus is on women's economic status without dealing in depth with other aspects of status. The main part of the paper demonstrates that in rural Botswana female-headed households are poorer than others and explores the reasons for their poverty. It examines the extent to which social customs, economic institutions, and the economic behaviour of the women themselves alleviate or aggravate their economic problems. In conclusion, some larger implications of the findings are considered, including the consequences of male out-migration for changes in the status of women, for familial support systems, and for reproductive behaviour.