Comparative Analysis of Multidimensional Welfare Deprivation Among Women in Rural and Urban South- South Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined multidimensional welfare deprivation of women in rural and urban South- South (SS) Nigeria. Secondary data from Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS, 2013) were used for this study. A total number of 1965 women in rural and 1275 in urban SS were covered in the study. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and fuzzy analysis. The mean age of women was 34 years in rural SS and 28 years in urban  SS. The highest level of education was complete primary education in rural SS and complete secondary in urban SS. This level of education had  effect on their deprivation status because women in rural SS were less educated and more deprived than women in urban SS. In The mean  household size was 6 in rural SS and 5 in the urban area. The Deprivation Index for rural women ranged from 0.05 to 0.89 with a mean value of 0.39 in rural SS and from 0.19 to 0.96 with a mean of 0.29 in urban SS. In the study area women had a Deprivation index between 0.000-0.9000 in both rural and urban SS. Women in urban SS had higher deprivation than those in rural SS; this can also be related to their educational attainment since the urban women were more educated than the rural women. For women’s deprivation status to be improved, the rural community should be educated on the need to improve on their housing and sanitation standards and autonomy. Also interventions in the area of housing and sanitation and education should be made in urban SS.

Keywords: Deprivation, Multidimensional Poverty, South- South Nigeria, Welfare, Women,