Presentation by:Amina Ibrahim Sheikh Abdulla

ADDRESSING GENDER IN FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION

The Zambia Experience

870 million people are undernourished; over 90% in developing countries (FAO)

239 million in Africa (1 in 4 people)

The world produces 17% more than it used to produce 4 decades ago (FAO,2002)

Most don’t have the means to produce nor the purchasing power to access food

2.

Global Overview

Poverty-1.2 billion living below poverty line (50% female)

Conflict

Climate change-increased frequency of droughts, flooding

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Principal Causes

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Sub-Saharan Africa413 million living in poverty-nearly half of its population

1 in 4 people is undernourished -most affected are women and children

In Zambia, 45% of children <5 are stunted with long term irreversible impact on development and future productivity

Linked to access to nutritious food and status of women in the communities they live in

Agricultural impact on nutrition and food security not just dependent on production

Involves a number of other factors:– Income from sale of produce– Interaction with market– Natural resource environment– Health environment– Control of income and assets– Knowledge, attitudes and practice

Tendency to address gender issues in most programmes is to target women in relation to transfer of inputs

5.

Addressing Gender in Agriculture

6.

Realigning Agriculture for Improved Nutrition (RAIN) Project

to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of a sustainable scalable model that integrates agriculture, nutrition and health interventions to prevent child and maternal under nutrition among rural communities in Zambia

RAIN Implementation Model

AgricultureVegetables, fruits,

small livestock Sectoral coordination &

alignmentAgriculture &

health

Nutrition and HealthBehavioural Change

Communication

HIV and AIDSPMTCT,

mainstreaming

ResearchMonitoring, Evaluation, Learning

RAIN Project

GenderEmpowerment, mainstreaming

Empowerment under the project focuses on– Individual (women’s skills, knowledge, confidence and

aspirations)– Relational (ability to negotiate and influence relationships and

decisions);– Structural (laws, policies, social norms and culture)– Associational

Detailed gender analysis undertaken at the onset of the projectProgramme activities, materials and approach developed based

on this analysisInvolves multiple stakeholders and groups in trainings, selection

of extension workers and community conversations

8.

How RAIN is Addressing Gender

Based on 2013 outcome analysisAnalysis explored links between women’s

empowerment and knowledge and children’s nutrition and health outcomes

Women’s empowerment is positively associated with – minimum dietary diversity among children 6-23

months– the likelihood of visiting health clinic in the last 6

months

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Findings from Rain Project

Thank You

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