Abstract
Female-headed houses (FHHs) are a widely researched phenomenon, worldwide. A close link has been established between FHHs and poverty, in the academic discourse. Scholars have emphasised the burden of poverty among women and FHHs. This study examines the lived experiences and livelihood strategies of FHHs. It argues that the experiences of FHHs transcend the binaries, and fixed poverty burden narrative dominant in much of the academic discourse and policy debates. The study shows that despite the vulnerabilities of FHHs – due to the gendered nature of poverty – the women within these situations demonstrate high levels of resistance to poverty, industriousness, and persistence in the deployment of their livelihood strategies. The study had three objectives. The first was to explore key debates on FHHs in the academic discourse, to develop an analytical framework for locating lived experiences in the study area. The second was to examine the lived experiences of FHHs, to understand their linkages to the poverty-burden narrative...
M.A. (Development Studies)