PMMA-11321 Spatial and Inter-temporal sources of Poverty, Inequality and Gender Disparities in Cameroon: A regression-based decomposition Analysis

Abstract

This study appeals to an alternative approach in explaining poverty and inequality trends in Cameroon, notably it blends regression analysis with traditional decomposition techniques to account for measured income inequality. We identify factor endowments that contribute to income disparities and discrimination along gender lines using regressed income sources. In this endeavour, use is made of some synthetic variables obtained by the Multiple Correspondence Analyses to compute multidimensional indicators associated with household education and health. The ECAM II and ECAM III household surveys collected by the government’s statistics office together with STATA 10 and DASP 2.1 software are used to generate results. Variables that explain household economic well-being were the synthetic variables for education and health, working in the formal sector, age cohorts, household size, gender, owning farm land and both urban and rural localities. Additionally, the following synthetic and non synthetic variables education, fraction of active household members, working in the formal sector and household size stands out as the main sources that account for household income inequality and income/expenditure equalizing endowment between male and female headed households. The variables age cohorts, health facilities, and owning farm land also account for inter-household gender inequality. This study has policy implications for public intervention that encourage attainment of higher levels of education, employment and rural development.These results shade some light on our understanding of factors that determine and account for inequality trends in the distribution of living standards and the extent to which inequality affects poverty in Cameroon, thus suggesting some orientations to the ongoing process of enhancing well-being, fostering growth and reducing poverty in Cameroon.

Members

Project leader: Epo Boniface Ngah

Project researchers: MANGA TEME Angèle Nadine | Francis MENJO BAYE

Journal publication

Authors	Co-Authors	Title of paper	Title of Economic Review	Bibliographic references
Epo Boniface Ngah	Manga Teme Angèle Nadine,Francis Menjo Baye	Investigating Disparities in Access and Returns to Endowments between Male and Female Headed Households in Cameroon	African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development	Volume 5, Jun 2013, pages 143-152
Epo Boniface Ngah	Francis Menjo Baye	Determinants of Inequality in Cameroon: A Regression-based Decomposition Analysis.	Botswana Journal of Economics	Volume 11, Number 15, 2013

Working Papers

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
	Spatial and Inter-temporal sources of Poverty, Inequality and Gender Disparities in Cameroon: A regression-based decomposition Analysis	2011-10-04	860.83KB	0	1

Policy Briefs

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
	Sources of Poverty, Inequality and Gender Disparities in Cameroon	2011-10-24	162.66KB	0	0

Final report

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
		2010-09-20	880.5KB	0	1

Proposal

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
		2008-11-07	690KB	2	1