Gendered vulnerabilities to a neglected disease: A comparative investigation of the effect of women’s legal economic rights and social status on malaria rates

Abstract

Although seldom noted in scholarly accounts, malaria represents a leading cause of death and underdevelopment in poor nations. Enormous cross-national variation in malaria rates across its endemic zones suggests the importance of large-scale factors in explaining comparative disease trends. While the biological vulnerability of women and children to malaria is often acknowledged, the literature has yet to investigate how gender inequalities contribute to patterns of malaria prevalence. Utilizing structural equation modeling on a sample of 90 less-developed nations and engaging insights from gender stratification perspectives, we consider the influence of both legal economic status and social dimensions of women’s status on malaria rates. We find that women’s legal economic status has an indirect relationship on malaria rates by enhancing women’s social standing and strengthening general health provisions. The results suggest that addressing issues of gender inequality in poor nations is central to tackling this persistent pandemic.