Abstract
BackgroundFood insecurity remains a major concern worldwide. In North and South Kivu provinces, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, repeated wars and gender-based violence exacerbate the situation. However, little is known about the determinants of food insecurity in the region.ObjectiveThis study analyzed the gendered determinants of food insecurity in North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a region of ongoing civil conflict.Methods1754 women were included in a cross-sectional study. Multilevel ordinal logistic regression was used to identify household-level determinants of food insecurity.ResultsThe poorest households were five times more likely to be food insecure (OR = 5.66, 95% CI 3.74–8.55). Women’s participation in decision-making about resource allocation decreased the risk for household food insecurity (OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.57–0.87), while higher tolerance to gender-based violence increased the risk of food insecurity (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.05–1.54).ConclusionInvolving empowered women in decision-making about resource allocation and actions to reduce gender-based violence could help mitigate food insecurity.
Highlights
Food insecurity remains a major concern worldwide
Women’s participation in decision-making about resource allocation decreased the risk for household food insecurity (OR = 0.68, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.57–0.87), while higher tolerance to gender-based violence increased the risk of food insecurity (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.05–1.54)
Some authors postulate that differences in food insecurity lie not so much in the gender of the household head but some unobserved differences affecting the use of household resources [13]; others point to the lack of women decision-makers in Bapolisi et al Agric & Food Secur (2021) 10:13 the household [14, 15]
Summary
Food insecurity remains a major concern worldwide. Food insecurity is a major concern: over 820 million people are estimated to suffer from hunger which translates to one in nine persons globally [1]. Authors examining determinants of food insecurity found that household gender dynamics are key. Some authors postulate that differences in food insecurity lie not so much in the gender of the household head but some unobserved differences affecting the use of household resources [13]; others point to the lack of women decision-makers in Bapolisi et al Agric & Food Secur (2021) 10:13 the household [14, 15]. Few authors have studied other aspects of the gender power balance in decision-making, including genderbased violence and its impact on food insecurity
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