TBILISI:
The 'Aging Well in Asia' report unveiled by the Asian Development Bank on Thursday has mentioned a report that found a large increase in allowances under a nationwide senior citizen programme in Nepal associated with reduced food consumption by women, even though it increased the likelihood of financial assistance by 64.4 per cent.
Strikingly, eligible female beneficiaries were 8.8 per cent more likely to eat fewer meals and 5.3 per cent more likely to go to bed hungry.
This unforeseen consequence was partly explained by higher allowances attracting would-be beneficiaries and thus generating larger households, which reduced the resources available to older women.
"A number of empirical studies in Asia have shown that intra-household resource allocation decisions tend to disfavour older household members, especially women," said Aiko Kikkawa, senior economist, Asian Development Bank. "One possible solution could be to ensure the eligible elderly person's direct access to the allowance."
