Calculating Multidimensional Deprivation Index for Women Living in Slums of Varanasi City

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to calculate Multidimensional Deprivation Index (MDI) for
Women living in slums on the basis of versatile methodology of Multidimensional Poverty
Index (MPI) which can be readily adjusted to incorporate alternative indicators, cut-offs and
weights that might be appropriate in local contexts. Life is hard in slum where no basic
facilities are available and it is much harder for women who are responsible for household,
children and family members. Total ten indicators have been chosen from three sectors
(health, economic and working status, value in family) to determine deprivation of female
slum residents. The present study is based on Primary data which has been collected from
six different slums of Varanasi city. The paper reveals that the more than 50 percent women
living in six surveyed slums are multidimensionally deprived but spatial variation can be
identified across all slums and across all indicators. The paper also identifies three different
categories of slums on the basis of their deprivation score C.