Income inequality: A gender perspective

Abstract

Surveys in India collect income data at the household level, but analysis of the same is performed at the level of individuals. Such a system operates on the assumption that the measured parameters like income can be divided by household size to obtain data for individuals. However, in a society with hierarchies prevalent even within the family unit, the assumption of equal intra-household division is flawed and could affect the results obtained from analyses. Gender is one of the common aspects that form the basis of such inequality. Capturing trends in inequality between males and females, finding specific reasons to which such inequality can be attributed and tracing consequences of the same, forms the larger context for this project.