Gendered Poverty as a Scourge and Catalyst to Women Socio-economic Hindrance

Gendered poverty remains one of the most pressing socio-economic challenges of the 21st century, disproportionately affecting women and exacerbating global inequalities. Often conceptualized as the "feminization of poverty," this phenomenon highlights the ways in which structural discrimination, patriarchal norms, and institutional barriers restrict women's access to education, employment, land, and financial resources. Women’s overrepresentation in informal, insecure, and low-paying work, coupled with the disproportionate burden of unpaid care responsibilities, further entrenches cycles of economic vulnerability. Intersectionality deepens these inequalities, as women’s experiences of poverty are mediated by race, class, geography, and other social identities. The consequences of gendered poverty extend beyond individual women to household welfare, national productivity, and the achievement of global development goals, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study employs Structuration theory and Black Feminist theory and uses a qualitative methodology. Addressing gendered poverty requires a multidimensional approach that goes beyond income redistribution to include structural reforms, gender-responsive social protection, and the recognition of women as key agents of development. This paper critically examines gendered poverty as both a scourge and a catalyst of women’s socio-economic hindrance, highlighting its causes, impacts, and implications for inclusive development. Gendered poverty, limited land access, and indigenous knowledge systems intersect to marginalize the socio-economic empowerment of women. This study critically examines globally how structural discrimination, patriarchal norms, and institutional barriers restrict women’s access to education, employment, land for food security, and financial resources, reinforcing cycles of economic vulnerability. Indigenous knowledge, while culturally significant, often legitimizes practices that marginalize women, particularly regarding land ownership and decision-making, further entrenching inequality. Employing Structuration theory and Black Feminist theory, this qualitative study highlights the compounded impact of poverty, land deprivation, and exclusionary cultural practices on women’s livelihoods, household welfare, and community development. Findings emphasize the need for the Gender Commission to regulate the application of indigenous knowledge to prevent the marginalization of rural women and enhance their socio-economic agency, including rural women in innovative strategies to enable their participation in land ownership and effectively embark on agricultural activities. By situating local challenges within global development frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study contributes to debates on gender, poverty, and empowerment, offering evidence-based recommendations for inclusive socio-economic transformation.