Gender Role Attitude and Food Insecurity among Women in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

There is a gendered colouration of food insecurity with more women than men being adversely affected. Yet, social norms regarding the roles of men and women appear to be traditionalistic and unfavourable to economic advancement among women thereby limiting their chances of being food secure. This study was therefore designed to examine gender role attitudes as it affects food insecurity while controlling the role of financial status among women in Ibadan metropolis. The work is a cross-sectional survey which featured the administration of 650 copies of a largely structured questionnaire among randomly and systematically selected women in Ibadan, Nigeria. Variables were measured with multi-item scales. Pearson r was used to assess relationships between pairs of gender role attitude, education, age and food insecurity. Partial r was further used to assess the relationship between gender role attitude and food insecurity while controlling for financial status. One way ANOVA was used to assess significant differences in means across sub-groups of marital status while post hoc test (LSD) was used to identify homogenous sub-groups. Simple percentile analysis shows that 39.1% of respondents arbitrarily held traditional attitude towards gender roles while only 12.2% were non food insecure. Gender role attitude was significantly and positively related to food insecurity (p 0.05). The pattern of gender role attitude is quasi-traditional. Egalitarian disposition to gender role is yet to be firmly rooted and food insecurity is still a plague among women in the study area. Gender role attitude is consequential for food insecurity regardless of financial status among women. Being unmarried or married as opposed to being divorced or widowed and increasing education serves protective roles against food insecurity but age does not.