Time use and food insecurity in female-headed households in Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, female-headed households disproportionately experience food insecurity. However, empirical and theoretical evidence shows that women are better than men at allocating intrahousehold resources to achieve well-being. In observation of this paradox, the present work studies the process of poverty feminization, and presents a collective decision model to understand the vulnerability situation of women. Specifically, we aimed to observe how time use and food insecurity correlate. We estimated an ordered probit model with Brazilian National Household Sample Survey data. Our studies found that women manage a double burden of both paid and unpaid jobs. This increases their risk of food insecurity, confirming the importance of time allocation in household well-being. Conversely, this effect is inverted when household tasks are shared with another member, specifically the spouse. Single mother households still face several challenges, which require specific policies and studies.