ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified poverty and economic vulnerability in Mexican households, particularly exacerbating the challenges faced by female-headed households. This study examines the interplay between household debt, poverty, and unpaid work, focusing on how gendered care responsibilities amplify economic inequalities. The central hypothesis posits that female-headed households are more negatively affected by debt during crises, as unpaid care and domestic responsibilities limit their capacity to engage in the labor market, reducing their ability to respond to economic shocks. Using data from the National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure (ENIGH) for 2018 and 2020, this analysis incorporates poverty lines from the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL). It applies the poverty lines method by Carrera et al., which accounts for household debt to estimate real disposable income. Results indicate that female-headed households are disproportionately vulnerable to poverty due to debt, particularly in regions with structural inequalities, as they face compounded barriers in navigating crises. These findings underscore the critical role of gendered care burdens in shaping poverty risks and highlight the need for policies addressing debt and gender-based economic disparities during and beyond crisis periods.
