Resource information
Ownership and control over assets such
as land and housing provide direct and indirect benefits to
individuals and households, including a secure place to
live, the means of a livelihood, protection during
emergencies, and collateral for credit that can be used for
investment or consumption. Unfortunately, few studies -
either at the micro or macro levels- examine the gender
dimensions of asset ownership. This paper sets out a
framework for researchers who are interested in collecting
data on individual level asset ownership and analyzing the
gender asset gap. It reviews best practices in existing
surveys with respect to data collection on assets at both
the household and individual levels, and shows how various
questions on individually owned assets can be incorporated
with a minimum of effort and cost into existing multi-topic
household surveys, using examples of three Living Standard
Measurement Study surveys: the 1998-99 Ghana survey, the
2000 Guatemala survey, and the 1997-98 Vietnam survey
questionnaires. The analysis shows that it is feasible to
add a minimal set of questions to enable calculation of the
gender asset gap. Adding a series of extra questions will
permit a more satisfactory and nuanced analysis of asset
acquisition, use, disposition, and valuation - information
that is critical for policies promoting gender equality,
poverty reduction, and economic growth.
