Gender Analyses on the Vulnerability Types Suffered by Poor and Older Freshwater Fisheries Community Members in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

This paper aimed to measure the vulnerability type that predicts the likelihood of the respondents in poor category of household income by sex-disaggregated data. The respondents were sampled in Peninsular Malaysia (n=322)). They suffer from at least one out of six types of vulnerability asked in the questionnaire. HO1 (no type of vulnerability predicts male in poor category of household income), and HO2 (no type of vulnerability predicts male in poor category of household income) were tested through Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) Model respectively and rejected. Both models were fit and significant (p<0.05) to predict the male and female respondents in poor category of household income. BLR Model 1 (male respondents) significantly predicted Handicapped Male and Single Father, with 3.60 times and less than 93.9 percent of the likelihood respectively for them to be in poor category of household income. For BLR Model 2 (female respondents), Single Mother and Handicapped Women predicted 16.15 times and 72.5 percent less of the likelihood respectively for them in the poor category of household income. This paper concludes the vulnerable women are poorer than the vulnerable men, and the handicapped men and single mothers are the poorest in freshwater fisheries communities.

Who are the B40 Matured and Older Rural Women Related to Freshwater Fisheries Economic Sector in Kuala Krai, Kelantan?

“…'no schooling/primary school' of academic background predicts MORW in the B40 household income category. This finding is supported bySaidi et al (2021) andZainalaludin (2012), who found that rural women are usually associated with low academic backgrounds and fisheries communities are in rural areas. Many studies also support this finding that fisheries community members have a common educational experience (William…”

Older Sarawakian Socioeconomic Determinants by Sex Disaggregation and Poverty Status

“…As women's life expectancy increases, they are also more likely to experience disadvantages in accessing education, food security, financial security, health care and social security compared to older men (Zainalaludin et al, 2020;Ismail et al, 2015;Chant, 2012). This means that older women are likely to be poor and face vulnerability and social disadvantage (Saidi et al, 2021;Zainalaludin et al, 2020). This is happening in Malaysia, which is currently experiencing a demographic shift among the elderly.…”

“…Many studies have found that older women are more likely to be poor (OECD, 2019;Ahmad et al, 2016;Siegenthaler, 1996), especially female heads of households (Masud et al, 2015). Many studies show older women have more disadvantages compared to older men (Tuohy & Cooney, 2019;Hamid, 2015) and yet they live longer than men, participate in household chores, and work for low wages or no payment (Saidi et al, 2021;Zainaludin et al, 2020;Ismail et al, 2015;Chant, 2012;Masud et al, 2008;Cox, 1998;Pearce, 1978). They deserve good life wellbeing towards last years of their lives, live happily and productive at their old ages.…”