Food, Health and Habitat Security of Rural Women in Punjab

Abstract

Food security is the basic human right and is achieved if adequate food is available and accessible for all individuals at all times to live a healthy and happy life. In gender inequality, women are poorly nourished , have less access to health care and live in poor sanitary and household conditions. The main objectives of the study were: (i) To measure food, health and habitat securities of rural women in Punjab. (ii) To identify the constraints to her welfare The study was carried out in all three soil zones of Punjab. Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Bhatinda district were randomly selected from each soil zone. Multistage stratified random sampling technique was employed. Two blocks from each district and two villages from each block were randomly selected. All the cultivator households were enlisted in three different farm size groups of small, medium and large.100 women respondents from farm and landless categories were selected from each district making a total sample of 300. Primary and secondary data were collected. Components of livelihood security index (LSI) viz. food and nutrition, health, habitat were assessed by indicators selected from CARE USA/Prog. Div/PHLS. Each of the indicators was measured for availability, accessibility, quality and status on a five point ordinal scale. Food security index points to excellent aggregate mean score of 4.63 for farm category and satisfactory score of 3.61 for landless categories. Diet diversity points to satisfactory score for farm categories and poor score of 2.14 for landless categories. Habitat security points to good score of 3.89 for farm size categories and secured equilibrium with index of 2.86 for land less categories.Water availability and accessibility points to a very good index. Other indices for condition of roof, walls, and freedom of mobility show satisfactory score for both categories. Poor indices for number of rooms, floor and kitchen for the landless were the constraints. Health security points to less than satisfactory equilibrium of 2.86 and fragile equilibrium of 2.53 for farm size and landless categories respectively. Access to government hospital was a constraint in all the districts for both the categories and needs to be improved. Hoshiarpur district performed better in all three indices from all the districts studied.