Predictors of welfare and child outcomes in female-headed households in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This study examines correlates of household welfare in female-headed households in three countries of sub-Saharan Africa – Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – using data from the 2004 wave of the Afrobarometer survey (n = 3525). More specifically, we assess the role government interventions and informal assistance might play in predicting household welfare. The association between female headship of a household and aspirations for child future outcomes is also examined. Study findings suggest country variations in experiences of welfare and perception of child outcomes. We also note that certain individual and household characteristics are linked to both household welfare and perception of child outcomes. Practice and policy implications are suggested.

Keywords:

• female headship of a household
• welfare, hardship
• informal support
• government intervention
• poverty
• child outcomes
• sub-Saharan Africa

Notes

Notes

1. Countries covered in this wave include Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

2. Data for Tanzania were not available on this measure.