Myth or math: The waxing and waning of the female-headed household

The paper calls for the need to re-evaluate the universally poverty label, which is often measured against Western family norms. It is important to demystify the image of women-headed households as the 'poorest of the poor'. Statistics are often incorrect as they ignore a number of factors such as human capital, power over allocation of resources within the family, and contributions of other family members. The paper also explains that distinctions should be considered between de facto female-headed households, where remittances from husbands or children can occur, to the de jure female-headed households, which are divorced, widowed, or single. De facto female-headed households are often better financially than male-headed households.