Economic and Socioeconomic Status of Widows in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review of Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications

Abstract

Widowhood remains one of the most underexplored yet economically consequential social conditions affecting women across the Global South. This paper presents a scoping review focused exclusively on the economic and socioeconomic status of widows in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Drawing on empirical evidence from 28 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024, the review maps the contours of economic deprivation, asset dispossession, and livelihood adaptation among widowed women. Guided by the PRISMA framework, studies were screened for methodological rigor and thematic relevance to income, employment, asset ownership, and livelihood strategies. The analysis reveals that widows in LMICs are disproportionately affected by multidimensional poverty arising from intersecting structural inequalities including patriarchal inheritance systems, limited access to credit, educational disadvantages, and informal labor market exclusion. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia emerge as the most studied yet most economically vulnerable regions, where widows often rely on informal survivalist activities such as petty trade and agricultural labor. The review also finds a dominant reliance on economic-centric theories such as Human Capital Theory and the Capability Approach, with limited integration of feminist or intersectional frameworks. The findings underscore the urgent need for policies that address widowhood not merely as a welfare concern but as a systemic economic inequality shaped by law, culture, and gendered access to resources. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for inclusive economic empowerment, gender-responsive land reforms, and social protection mechanisms that integrate widows into formal development processes.