The achievement of food and nutrition security in South Asia is deeply gendered

Abstract

Women form an integral part of the agricultural sector, and in much of South Asia women make up a majority of the agricultural workforce and are often compelled to work to meet their families’ basic needs. While their contributions are recognized as central to the food and nutrition security of households and communities, their work is not recognized or supported adequately by public policy and social institutions. Women continue to face inequality across key development indicators including health, education and nutrition; discriminatory laws; and high levels of precarity in terms of income, employment conditions, safety and well-being. Social structures that promote gender inequality and inhibit the agency of women contribute to the South Asian enigma — the persistence of undernutrition despite economic growth — and must be addressed to achieve food and nutrition security.