La ‘femenización de la pobreza’ en Costa Rica ¿un problema para las mujeres y los niños?

Qualitative research with over 70 poor women and men in Guanacaste helps to illuminate some of the reasons why poverty is feminising in a country in which the national state has made dedicated efforts to promote gender equality and to assist women in conditions of poverty. Although female-headed households are vulnerable to income poverty, female headship can sometimes present a more viable, and preferred, option for women due to gains in other aspects of well-being for themselves and other household members. The findings highlight the importance to taking into account gendered subjectivities and multidimensionality in the analysis of poverty.