capacity building for gap implementation in eca region brussels, oct. 20-22, 2008

Capacity Building for GAP Implementation in ECA RegionBrussels, Oct. 20-22, 2008

Gender and Access to Economic Assets

Elena Bardasi

The World Bank

October 21, 2008


World Bank work on assets Gender and Development Unit program on Collecting data on individual assetso Workshop Spring 2007o World Bank Policy and Research WP #4704

DEC Research Group LSMS Groupo Inclusion of individual-level questions in Afghanistan and Tajikistan LSMS Surveys

WBI (in collaboration with UNECE) o Methodological guidelines “Gender and Access to Assets”


Access to assets - Relevance Assets serve multiple functions: 1. Consumption — Enjoyment of use.2. Social safety net — strengthening households’ and individuals’

ability to cope with shocks.3. Income generating mechanism — providing productive capacity

and additional consumption, ensuring access to credit, capital, etc.4. Accumulation and power — increasing the ability of

accumulating more assets and increasing bargaining power.

Assets can therefore be a measure of:o Vulnerability, income generating potential and poverty,

bargaining power, etc.


Assets - Definition“stocks of financial, human, natural or social resources that can be acquired, developed, improved and transferred across generations” (Ford Foundation, 2004)

Tangible assets:o Real: housing, land, livestock, businesses, equipment, tools,

vehicles, consumer durables. o Financial: cash, accounts, stocks, pensions. o Natural resources: water, trees, etc.

Intangible assets:o Human capital, intellectual abilities, reputation, social capital

(networks, information, etc.)


Individual vs. household-level information

Similarly to income and consumption, assets can be distributed unevenly across household members;

Evidence from scattered survey data and qualitative studies indicates that:

Women less likely than men to own and control assets (esp. productive ones);

Men and women often own different types of assets;Channels for acquiring assets differ by gender;Social norms, intra-family arrangements and civil codes can limit the

ownership and control of assets by women;Lack of ownership and control of assets results in greater poverty

and economic vulnerability for women (esp. upon divorce, widowhood)


Gender dimensions of Asset Ownership

Land Ownership:Land Ownership: Women are less likely to own land, and their Women are less likely to own land, and their plots are likely to be smaller and of poorer quality than men’s.plots are likely to be smaller and of poorer quality than men’s.

In Cameroon, over 75% of the agricultural work is done by women, but In Cameroon, over 75% of the agricultural work is done by women, but women hold less than 10% of land certificates.women hold less than 10% of land certificates.

Housing:Housing: Rarely do surveys asks which household member(s) Rarely do surveys asks which household member(s) owns the dwelling and/or who has title to the houseowns the dwelling and/or who has title to the house

In Nicaragua, women owned 44% of owned residences, men owned 50%, In Nicaragua, women owned 44% of owned residences, men owned 50%, and 6% were held jointly by both spouses (2001 ENHMNV).and 6% were held jointly by both spouses (2001 ENHMNV).

Livestock Ownership:Livestock Ownership: A general pattern is for men to own large A general pattern is for men to own large livestock (particularly work animals) while women own smaller livestock (particularly work animals) while women own smaller livestock and yard animals.livestock and yard animals.

In Nicaragua, men owned 23% of livestock and women owned 37%. In Nicaragua, men owned 23% of livestock and women owned 37%. However, women were more likely to own pigs and poultry, while men were However, women were more likely to own pigs and poultry, while men were more likely to own donkeys, horses and cattle.more likely to own donkeys, horses and cattle.


Gender dimensions of Asset Ownership

Business Assets:Business Assets: Not much research has focused on gender Not much research has focused on gender gaps.gaps.

Research in Ghana found that although women were more likely to own Research in Ghana found that although women were more likely to own business assets, the mean value of the assets owned by men was much higher business assets, the mean value of the assets owned by men was much higher than that owned by women.than that owned by women.

Financial Assets:Financial Assets: Research on pensions reveals that men are Research on pensions reveals that men are more likely to hold jobs that provide access to pensions, and more likely to hold jobs that provide access to pensions, and among those with pensions, average pensions are larger for among those with pensions, average pensions are larger for men than for women.men than for women.

Other Physical Assets:Other Physical Assets: Women and men own other physical Women and men own other physical assets such as vehicles, jewelry and culturally specific items. assets such as vehicles, jewelry and culturally specific items. These types of assets may differ by gender.These types of assets may differ by gender.


What do we need to knowTo understand gender patterns of asset ownership, it is important to know who in the household owns, uses, and control a particular asset, as well as the value of the assets.

We need information on all relevant assets We need information on all the relevant rights We need information on the value of the assets


What do we need to knowIndividual rights such as…

Ownership data; whether a formal title exists; whether the asset is owned individually or jointly;

Management of the asset (“access”, “control”, “decision making”):

o Ability to use; o Ability to rent; o Ability to use as a collateral; o Ability to bequest;o Ability to keep the income originating from the asset;o Ability to sell; …

Secure tenure on the asset; Origin of the asset (mode and timing of acquisition)


Why individual data are not commonly collected

Most data on assets are collected only at the household level:

Individual ownership/control are usually not the main focus (in LSMS, Income and exp survey, Household Budget Surveys, DHS, LFS, MICS, etc);

Conceptually difficult to assign all assets to individuals;

Many questions are needed to disentangle all possible ‘rights’ over the asset;

Additional information is required to fully exploit and interpret individual-level information on access to assets (e.g. marital regime)


What do we know, esp. for ECAAsset Individual ownership Individual control

Land Bosnia-Herzegovina

Tajikistan

Housing Bosnia-Herzegovina

Uzbekistan

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Uzbekistan

Non-agric business

Kazakhstan, Russia Bosnia-Herzegovina

Uzbekistan

Savings Tajikistan

capacity building for gap implementation in eca region brussels, oct. 20-22, 2008

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