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editGender inequality both leads to and is a result of food insecurity. According to estimates, women and girls make up 60% of the world's chronically hungry and little progress has been made in ensuring the equal right to food for women enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.[1][2] Women face discrimination both in education and employment opportunities and within the household, where their bargaining power is lower. On the other hand, gender equality is described as instrumental to ending malnutrition and hunger.[3] Women tend to be responsible for food preparation and childcare within the family and are more likely to be spent their income on food and their children's needs.[4] The gendered aspects of food security are visible along the four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization and stability, as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization.[5]
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editMost financial services in rural areas are directed towards households, and the male members usually receive credit and insurance via development agencies. Another issue is that women are employed as mere helpers without any substantive decision-making power within rural farming families, rather than entrepreneurs who should have access to credit. Legislation and local customs hinder women's access to and control of assets that can be deemed as collateral such as land or livestock, by lending institutions. It is less likely for a woman to own land, even if their families own it, and they are also less likely to control land, even if they formally own it. Moreover, since there is bias in control over assets, livestock which is of a high-value is usually owned by men, whereas women mostly own low-value animals such as poultry. Such a system works against women as it offers lower security through their low-value livestock, and proves to be a serious hindrance for women to access credit due to lack of security. Another constraint is that lower literacy levels among women hinder their ability to communicate and understand the information that is communicated to them in writing, which in turn limits their understanding of complex financial products that are being offered to them. Additionally, women generally get paid far less than men and this wage gap contributes to food insecurity among women. Addressing this, could help in reducing food insecurity.[6]
Gender and Food Security in the United States
editIn the United States, food insecurity impacts a wide-range of households across country but is highest among households led by women and women who live alone.[4] Additionally, Black and Latinx single mothers are disproportionately impacted.[5]
Low food security does not only display itself in hunger and decrease in body size, but also in weight-gaining. According to a number of studies showing the linkage between low food security and sex differences, low food security is linked to being over-weight[7] and "gaining 5 pounds or more in one year, but only among women".[8] "Very low food security is associated with being underweight, but again only for women".[9]
An empirical research[9] is conducted between mothers and non-mothers in the US to understand the relation between "motherness" in gaining weight for women. The research found statistically significant association between "motherness" and "food insecurity". Relatively income-restrained single mothers, in parallel to the requirements of traditional expectations and socially constructed roles for them, risk their individual health by skipping meals, eat less or consume high-calorie but nutritionally-poor food, in order to provide food security of their children.
Food insecurity in minority communities in the United States is largely due to low wages, food deserts, and racism.[6]
References
edit- ^ [1], World Food Programme Gender Policy Report. Rome, 2009.
- ^ Spieldoch, Alexandra (2011). "The Right to Food, Gender Equality and Economic Policy". Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL).
- ^ FAO, ADB (2013). Gender Equality and Food Security - Women's Empowerment as a Tool against Hunger (PDF). Mandaluyong, Philippines: Asian Development Bank. ISBN 978-92-9254-172-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2013-12-01.
- ^ Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook, World Food Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (2009)
- ^ FAO (2006). "Food Security" (PDF). Policy Brief. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-18.
- ^ Feeley, Maris. "Ending Hunger is a Gender Equity Issue". Food Research & Action Center. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
- ^ Adams, E.J.; L. Grummer-Strawn, G.Chavez; Chavez, G (2003). "Food insecurity is associated with increased risk of obesity in California women". Journal of Nutrition. 133 (4): 1070–1074. doi:10.1093/jn/133.4.1070. PMID 12672921.
- ^ Wilde, P.E.; J.N. Peterman (2006). "Individual weight change is associated with household food security status". Journal of Nutrition. 136 (5): 1395–1400. doi:10.1093/jn/136.5.1395. PMID 16614436.
- ^ a b Martin, Molly A.; Adam M. Lippert (2012). "Feeding her children, but risking her health: The intersection of gender, household food insecurity and obesity". Social Science & Medicine. 74 (11): 1754–1764. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.11.013. PMC 3338899. PMID 22245381.