Vulnerability of Poverty Between Male and Female-Headed Households in China

This study investigates the nexus between household head gender and poverty vulnerability in the context of China's eradication of absolute poverty. Using a sample of 5061 rural households from the 2018 CFPS database, poverty vulnerability is quantitatively measured through the VEP model and the 3FGLS method. Additionally, the Probit model is employed to elucidate the ties between household head gender and rural household poverty vulnerability. The study uncovers an absence of significant disparity in poverty vulnerability between female-headed and male-headed households overall. However, heterogeneity is observed within female-headed households: de jure female-headed households exhibit greater vulnerability, while De facto female-headed households display the opposite trend. Notably, health risks are accentuated as a decisive factor, with female-headed households, especially de jure ones, experiencing significantly higher health risks than their male-headed counterparts. Moreover, the education level, household income, and assets are positively correlated with reducing poverty vulnerability and facilitating households' escape from poverty. These findings provide important references for formulating poverty alleviation strategies and more effective mechanisms to prevent relapse, thereby alleviating vulnerability to relative poverty.