Abstract
Many studies purport that in low-income countries, women are often responsible for producing, preparing and purchasing food. Consequently, policies related to food and nutrition overemphasise the role of women, underestimating the potential for cooperation and complementarity between men and women. This focus on women does not account for socially constructed expectations of women that undermine their decision-making in resource allocation. Using desk reviews, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, our case study in Malawi sought to understand the complementary role of men in maternal and child nutrition. International agreements and Malawi’s policies were reviewed to understand how men’s involvement emerged on the nutrition policy agenda. Policymakers, stakeholders and men and women from rural Central Malawi were interviewed, sharing their experiences of men’s role in maternal and child health. The study found that men’s involvement in maternal and child health has been on the development agenda since as early as 1995. Malawi has made efforts to involve men in these areas through several policy actions and programmes. Contrary to literature suggesting that women are the main producers, procurers and preparers of food, this study found that men in rural Central Malawi are increasingly becoming responsible for providing and purchasing food. Men also play a supportive role in food preparation, helping women access diverse diets during and after pregnancy. They also take up a supportive role in household activities, providing women with assistance in housework and looking after children. The positive change in men’s roles presents an opportunity for exploring how men can contribute to food security and nutrition. Opportunities exist for designing inclusive food and agriculture policies that promote cooperation between men and women in food and nutrition. These policies can challenge misinterpretations of women’s role in food security and the underlying systems that reinforce gender inequalities.
Highlights
Based on a 1997 FAO report that focused on women and food security [1], many studies have emphasised the role of women in food security, purporting that women are responsible for much of the world’s food production [2]
Contrary to literature suggesting that women are the main producers, procurers and preparers of food, this study found that men in rural Central Malawi are increasingly becoming responsible for providing and purchasing food
The Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) were included in the study to corroborate research findings from the interviews with the men and women as well as deepen our understanding of how gender dynamics have changed in this community
Summary
Based on a 1997 FAO report that focused on women and food security [1], many studies have emphasised the role of women in food security, purporting that women are responsible for much of the world’s food production [2]. The 2011 FAO State of Food Security and Agriculture report suggested that if women had the same access to resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–20% [3]. Targeting women alone does not challenge gender power relations such as household decision-making, that constrain women’s access to resources for improving productivity. Several studies [3; 5; 6] suggest that women’s productive time is constrained by the roles involving unpaid care and housework that society expects them to play. This means that they lose time which they could otherwise spend on the farm
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