Do Female Education and Ownership of Asset Matter for Poverty Reduction in Nepal?

Abstract

Prevalence of economic and other forms of poverty in every society is a threat for a more equitable and sustainable development of the society. Economic empowerment of women particularly in the Third World nations has emerged as a contemporary issue for gender-balanced and inclusive economic development. The agenda of enhancement of women’s economic capabilities and provision of greater access to education to females for poverty reduction has entered as a fundamental goal of development policy in Nepal. Employing the small area poverty estimate data of the 75 administrative districts of Nepal of the year 2011, this paper analyses the effect of females’ education and their ownership of fixed assets on Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) class of poverty measures. Results of the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression indicate that females’ education and their ownership of immovable assets have poverty reducing effect in Nepal.