Tightening the Constraints: Famine, Relief and Gender Relations

Abstract

The argument is that recurrent famines, which are more likely to occur during rapid socio-economic, technological and institutional transitions, introduce long- term changes in gender relations. This is presented through a model of 'famine leverage' on transformations of gender relations, which is then examined with respect to British Indian famine policy and the present-day nutritional outcomes in a north Indian village. The pursuit of cost-effective relief and reinterpretations of 'custom' led to a capture of malevolent potentialities in famine strategies, entrenching gender roles which are detrimental to men's and women's well-being. Part of the reason was a trade-off in relief between supporting independent women's livelihoods and releasing funds for the development of roads, railways, irrigation and conservancy.