Differences in Household Composition : Hidden Dimensions of Poverty and Displacement in Somalia

Little is known about how gender inequality influences poverty rates of forcibly displacedpeople. This paper uses a nationally representative survey to analyze poverty among internally displaced people andnon-displaced people in Somalia. More than half of internally displaced people’s households and 47 percent ofnon-displaced people’s households are female headed. Although poverty rates are higher among internally displacedpeople than non-displaced people (77 versus 66 percent), male-headed households are poorer than female-headed onesamong both groups. Extending the analysis beyond headship to demographic characteristics and by the gender and number ofearners provides a more nuanced picture. Demographic characteristics are strongly associated with poverty ratesfor internally displaced people but not for non-displaced people. Having more income earners reduces poverty risk forall households. For internally displaced people’s households, the largest decrease in poverty risk isassociated with having more female earners, while having more male earners is associated with the lowest poverty fornondisplaced people’s households. The analysis highlights that poverty reduction policies and programs must cover allhouseholds and lift barriers to women’s economic opportunities. Programs that respond to women’s careresponsibilities and address barriers to women’s economic opportunities are especially important for internallydisplaced people.