Women In Male-headed Households Research Articles

What agricultural transition means for women in male-headed households in South Asia: an in-depth exploration of intrahousehold evaluation processes

Women’s participation in agriculture is increasing in the Eastern Gangetic Plains due to various external drivers, but they continue to play a limited role in agricultural decision-making. Yet there is limited understanding of the perspectives of spouses in male-headed households post-technology adoption. To understand post-technology adoption experiences of spouses, we conducted qualitative and semi-structured individual interviews with household heads and their spouses in 47 households. This approach aimed to understand their perception on recent adoption of conservation agriculture and its influence on their socio-economic status and roles in agricultural production. Both household heads and their spouses tended to prioritize technological benefits, status change, changing roles and responsibilities at the household level as important contributions/aspects of new conservation agriculture practices. However, upon deeper inspection, women had limited mechanistic understanding compared to men, and their use of free time was situation dependent with location-specific opportunities for women to upskill. Efforts to reduce the information gap and incorporate their technological preferences and needs into future promotional activities are necessary to improve women’s participation in decision-making. Similarly, opportunities to upskill can provide potential opportunities for women to realize their personal aspirations and have a positive influence on their household and community.

Women's marital status and use of family planning services across male- and female-headed households in low- and middle-income countries.

As more households are being led by women, who are often seen as disadvantaged, more attention is being given to the potential association of female household headship with health. We aimed to assess how demand for family planning satisfied by modern methods (mDFPS) is associated with residence in female or male headed households and how this intersects with marital status and sexual activity. We used data from national health surveys carried out in 59 low- and middle-income countries between 2010 and 2020. We included all women aged 15 to 49 years in our analysis, regardless of their relationship with the household head. We explored mDFPS according to household headship and its intersectionality with the women's marital status. We identified households as male-headed households (MHH) or female-headed households (FHH), and classified marital status as not married/in a union, married with the partner living in the household, and married with the partner living elsewhere. Other descriptive variables were time since the last sexual intercourse and reason for not using contraceptives. We found statistically significant differences in mDFPS by household headship among reproductive age women in 32 of the 59 countries, with higher mDFPS among women living in MHH in 27 of these 32 countries. We also found large gaps in Bangladesh (FHH = 38%, MHH = 75%), Afghanistan (FHH = 14%, MHH = 40%) and Egypt (FHH = 56%, MHH = 80%). mDFPS was lower among married women with the partner living elsewhere, a common situation in FHH. The proportions of women with no sexual activity in the last six months and who did not use contraception due to infrequent sex were higher in FHH. Our findings indicate that a relationship exists between household headship, marital status, sexual activity, and mDFPS. The lower mDFPS we observed among women from FHH seems to be primarily associated with their lower risk of pregnancy; although women from FHH are married, their partners frequently do not live with them, and they are less sexually active than women in MHH.

Rural-urban differentials in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of child bearing age in Zambian


 Introduction: Overweight and obesity have become leading causes of non-communicable diseases and millions of deaths worldwide every year are attributed to these conditions. Currently, diseases such as high blood pressure, strokes, type II diabetes, cancer among others, are attributable to overweight and obesity. This study sought to determine demographic and socioeconomic aspects associated with overweight and obesity among women residing in rural and urban areas of Zambia. It further examined the differences in factors that affect the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women residing in urban and those in rural areas of Zambia. 
 Methods: The study analysed the BMI from a total of (6967) urban and (7855) rural women using data from the 2013-14 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS). Both univariate and bivariate analyses were performed to describe the study population. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of demographic and socioeconomic factors on overweight and obesity among women in rural and urban areas of Zambia.
 Results: overweight and obesity prevalence were (21.2 percent and 10.8 percent) among urban women versus (11.9 percent and 2.9 percent) among rural women. Age, region of residence, educational level and household wealth of women were significant predictors of both overweight and obesity among women regardless of place of residence. Women in urban areas who resided in male headed households, had (4-6 children) and drunk alcohol had higher odds of being overweight, whereas, women in male headed households only and reported having been drinking alcohol were associated with being obese. Literacy was found to be a major contributor of overweight among rural women.
 Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are markedly higher among urban women than rural women, and that differences on how these occur between these two groups of women have a socioeconomic and demographic dimension. In order to deal with increasing overweight and obesity challenges among women in Zambia, the paper recommends continued sensitizations about dangers of overweight and obesity with emphasis on behaviour changes in feeding or eating practices focussing more on traditional low fat and low calorie foods which in actual sense are cheaper and produce healthier results. Added to this recommendation is the need to change life styles to include routine exercising and increased medical check-ups.

Women’s Participation in Seed Selection and Production in The Informal Seed System: The Case of Ebinat Woreda, South Gondar Zone of Amhara National Regional State

Women constitute almost half of the world’s population though they have been excluded from decision making. Studies conducted on women and seed overlooked specific gender roles and decision making of women in seed selection and production in informal seed system in food insecure areas. This study attempted to address women’s participation, women’s dual roles, and constraints for their fair participation. The study employed mixed research approach. It also used primary and secondary sources of data-collected through questionnaire, FGDs, interviews, direct observation and document review. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were employed to select study participants. Finally, the data were analyzed via quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. The study found out that women’s participation in seed selection is with low extent and limited in decision making unlike their role in providing labor. It shows that majority of women in male headed households are part of seed production processes regardless of their health problems, level of education, and burdens in the domestic tasks. The study also indicated that lack of infrastructures, cultural barriers, and inaccessibility of market are major constraints for fair participation of women in seed selection and production. The local government shall work on awareness on gender equality, provision of technologies and production inputs, and construction of roads to local markets were possible solutions forwarded to improve women’s saying and burden in seed selection and production.
 Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 8, Issue-4: 445-456.

Individual, community and societal correlates of insecticide treated net use among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-level analysis

BackgroundMalaria in pregnancy is a crucial public health concern due to the enormous risk it poses to maternal and newborn health. The World Health Organisation therefore recommends insecticide-treated net (ITN) for pregnant women. The world over, sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest prevalence of malaria and its associated complications. This study investigated the individual, community and society level factors associated with ITN use among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsThe study was conducted with Demographic and Health Survey data of 21 sub-Saharan African countries. A total of 17,731 pregnant women who possessed ITN participated in the study. Descriptive computation of ITN use by survey country and socio-demographic characteristics was conducted. Further, five multi-level binary logistic regression models were fitted with MLwiN 3.05 package in STATA. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation procedure was used in estimating the parameters whilst the Bayesian Deviance Information Criterion was used for the model fitness test.ResultsOn average, 74.2% pregnant women in SSA used ITN. The highest prevalence of ITN use occurred in Mali (83.7%) whilst the least usage occurred in Namibia (7%). Women aged 30–34 were more likely to use ITN compared with those aged 45–49 [aOR = 1.14; Crl = 1.07–1.50]. Poorest women were less probable to use ITN relative to richest women [aOR = 0.79; Crl = 0.70–0.89]. Compared to women who did not want their pregnancies at all, women who wanted their pregnancies [aOR = 1.06; Crl = 1.04–1.19] were more probable to use ITN. Women in male-headed households had higher likelihood of ITN use compared to those from female-headed households [aOR = 1.28; Crl = 1.19–1.39]. On the whole, 38.1% variation in ITN use was attributable to societal level factors whilst 20.9% variation was attributable to community level factors.ConclusionThe study has revealed that in addition to individual level factors, community and society level factors affect ITN use in SSA. In as much as the study points towards the need to incorporate community and societal variations in ITN interventions, active involvement of men can yield better outcome for ITN utilisation interventions in SSA.

The Role of Women in Production and Management of RTB Crops in Rwanda and Burundi: Do Men Decide, and Women Work?

This paper evaluates the determinants of decision-making in relation to the production of four crops (banana, cassava, potato, and sweet potato). Understanding the division of labor and decision-making in crop management may lead to designing better interventions targeted at improving efficiency in smallholder agriculture. In 2014, the research team conducted a quantitative household survey with heads of households involving 261 women and 144 men in Burundi and 184 women and 222 men in Rwanda. Most of the decisions and labor provision during the production of both cash crops (potato and banana) and food crops (sweet potato and cassava) were done jointly by men and women in male-headed households. Higher values for ‘credit access’, ‘land size’, and ‘farming as the main occupation of the household head’ increased the frequency of joint decision-making in male-headed households. A decline in the amount of farm income reduced the participation of men as decision-makers. A reduction in total household income and proximity to the market was correlated with joint decision-making. Gender norms also contributed to the lower participation of women in both decision-making and labor provision in banana and potato cultivation. Although a large proportion of decisions were made jointly, women perceived that men participate more in decision-making processes within the household during the production of cash crops. Increased participation by women in decision-making will require an active and practical strategy which can encourage adjustments to existing traditional gender norms that recognize men as the main decision-makers at both the household and community levels.

How gender biased are female-headed household transfers in Egypt?

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we claim that the policy of targeting female-headed households’ (FHHs) may generate bias against women in male-headed households (MHHs) who may be more poverty-constrained. Targeting FHHs may have the merit of clear targeting; however, it doesn’t address the feminization phenomenon of poverty; instead, it presents unequal opportunities for women in other families by less favouring them. We argue that proper targeting could be derived based on the number of women in families. The study applied a Gender-Based Poverty Detection Model to provide a good detection of household poverty and show that the vulnerable characteristics of females could be more influenced by the general household’s poverty than females’ headed households. Model results showed that not all FHHs are poor, and that some de jure MHHs include a large number of poor females. This means that targeting only de jure FHHs might result in resource leakage to the non-poor and under-coverage of poor de facto FHHs and poor females in MHHs. The analysis asserts that female headship is not always a correlate of poverty in Egypt. An important correlate, however, is the share of female members in the household. This raises questions about the effectiveness of social assistance and poverty alleviation programmes in Egypt in targeting female poverty.

Gender equality in rural development and agricultural extension in Fogera district, Ethiopia: Implementation, access to and control over resources

Gender equality is seen both as a human rights (social justice) issue and as a precondition for and indicator of sustainable, people-centered development. Ethiopia is a signatory to various gender conventions and declarations. Much progress has been achieved in terms of establishing institutional arrangements. However, practical implementation of gender equality remains a challenge. Assessing the current status of gender equality (implementation, access to and control of resources) of women in maleheaded households, female-headed households and male-headed households in rural development and agricultural extension was the focus of this study. The district was purposively selected based on crop and livestock farming systems of the zone. Sampled kebeles (peasant associations) and respondents were selected using simple random sampling techniques. A total of 140 respondents were selected for the interview. The data were collected using a structured interview schedule. Study findings confirmed that variations were observed between male household heads, female household heads and women in male-headed households in terms of participation in different rural development processes and access to and control of resources. Compared to past experience, titles of land ownership for women in male-headed households and femaleheaded households were improved. Women farmers have less access to extension services as compared to men and low representation in local organizations. It was also observed that real problems and needs for agricultural advice are not considered on a gender basis when planning and preparing extension packages in the agricultural services. Women farmers were not addressed in rural development and agricultural extension program activities explicitly. Participation of women in male-headed households and female-headed households in agricultural extension package program was still very low (28.5% and 57.1%, respectively) when compared with male-headed households (74.3%). Participation of women in male-headed households in rural development and agricultural extension events like training, meeting, planning, field days and demonstrations was also very low (<5%). Strengthening of women’s organizational capacity and involvement of women in local institutions need emphasis and support at all levels by the concerned body. Keywords: Agriculture, access, extension, equality, household, organization, participation, control

Men and women farmers\u2019 perceptions of adopting improved diets for pigs in Uganda: decision-making, income allocation, and intra-household strategies that mitigate relative disadvantage

BackgroundThe roles and responsibilities of men and women in east African smallholder pig-raising households and the entitlements each can claim from pig-enterprise income are unknown. The article is a qualitative gender-and-household-head-disaggregated exploration of Ugandan smallholder pig farmers’ perceptions. Asset ownership, control, and access; division of labour; and decision-making related to pig rearing and pig-enterprise income are presented in the context of the potential impact of adopting improved diets for pigs (a productivity improvement).ResultsPotential benefits of improved diet adoption included faster pig growth; increased farmer income and pig population; new on-farm employment and produce market opportunities; and improved pig market opportunities and family- and community-level well-being. Contradictory views about the potential impact of diet adoption on labour requirements and feed costs, and the inclusion of seasonal, home-grown ingredients were expressed. Concerns about people and pigs competing for food and personal safety were also voiced. Women allocated pig-enterprise income to provide for their children, household, and extended family, and spent only the remaining income on themselves. Men allocated income to meet personal needs, and to provide for their children, wife, second wife/family, extended family, and lovers. Men and women in female-headed households (WFHH) had overt decision-making ability over the pig enterprise and pig-enterprise income. Some women in male-headed households (WMHH) had overt decision-making ability over the pig enterprise and pig-enterprise income when their husband allowed it, or failed to provide, or was away. Pig ownership and labour investment by WMHH did not guarantee that women had decision-making ability or benefitted from pig-enterprise income. Some WMHH employed covert strategies which mitigated their relative disadvantage. Threat of domestic violence inhibited the decision-making ability of WMHH. Polygyny reduced intra-household communication transparency.ConclusionsDiet adoption could benefit smallholder pig-raising households and farming communities, but lack of funds and human/pig food competition could limit adoption. Men, WFHH, and some WMHH had overt decision-making ability over the pig enterprise and pig-enterprise income. Men allocated income to benefit themselves, and their multiple families and lovers. Women allocated income to benefit their families and spent only surplus income on themselves. Women employed covert strategies to mitigate their relative disadvantage.

Women's participation in high value agricultural commodity chains in Kenya: Strategies for closing the gender gap

In developing economies, well-functioning markets are known to provide the poor with avenues for wealth creation. Using a value chain approach, this paper aims at examining bottlenecks to and opportunities for different categories of women to participate in markets for high value agricultural commodities, with a view to identifying feasible upgrading strategies for the different categories. The findings are based on a case study of Kenya's avocado value chain, which depicts export and domestic market orientation. The data were collected through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews and household surveys. The results suggest that in the more commercialized and well developed chains like that of export, upgrading strategies vary for the different typologies of women. While women in female headed households may require limited efforts such as tailoring financial products to their needs or providing interlinked services coupled with prompt payment for their produce to allow them to produce quality fruits and access lucrative markets, women in male headed households need institutionalization of gender-sensitive policies in the governance of producer groups to enable them to upgrade as chain integrators and chain owners. In the less commercialized domestic chain, limited efforts may be required to upgrade women along the chain, but the need to change from the less marketable local variety to exotic variety is likely to alter women's position, thereby calling for the need to institutionalize gender-sensitive policies in the governance of existing organized groups and use the groups as a platform to introduce the new variety.

Smallholder goat production and marketing: a gendered baseline study from Inhassoro District Mozambique

Despite emerging public and donor attention on women and agriculture, relatively few studies are based on gender analysis of sex-disaggregated quantitative data, particularly on women's involvement in marketing of livestock products. The objective of this article is therefore to investigate gender roles and processes of smallholder goat production and marketing in Inhassoro District, Mozambique, by analysing sex-disaggregated baseline data for women in male-headed households (W-MHH), men in male-headed households (M-MHH) and women in female-headed households (FHH). The paper draws on baseline data from the imGoats project, which aimed to diversify smallholder goat producers’ livelihood options by supporting the commercialization of goat production. Building on the sustainable livelihoods framework, adapted for gender and assets, this paper demonstrates that women in male-headed households rarely have control over income from goat sales and that meanings of “joint” ownership, decision making and asset control differ by gender. Results also showed that the primary goal of selling goats is to cover emergencies and household needs, and that goat meat consumption is linked to market access and agro-ecological zone. Despite the challenges of undertaking robust gender studies in a real-life developing country setting, this study provides a practical technical example of how one can implement gendered quantitative analyses in the context of the livelihoods framework.

Resettlement for Food Security's Sake: Insights from a Malawi Land Reform Project

In several African contexts, households are unable to enhance agricultural production due to land constraints. Few governments have explored the use of resettlement to alleviate land scarcity and facilitate rural-to-rural migration. We examine whether a resettlement project in southern Malawi improved food security in the long term. Our findings indicate resettled households achieved greater long-term food security, owing to additional land coupled with a more diversified crop portfolio. We also find the formalization of property rights improved land security for male and female household heads, but resettlement jeopardized the land security of women in male-headed households.

Food insecurity, socioeconomic status, and HIV-related risk behavior among women in farming households in Tanzania.

Food insecurity (FI) is associated with higher-risk sexual behavior in some studies. However, the overlap between FI and socioeconomic status (SES) has been poorly described. The study objectives were to: (1) determine the relationship between household FI and four dimensions of SES among sexually active Tanzanian women in farming households: expenditures, assets, flooring material of the home, and land ownership; and (2) determine whether FI is associated with higher-risk sexual behavior and relationship power. In male-headed households, FI was associated with assets, flooring material, and land ownership but not expenditures. There was no association between FI and the four dimensions of SES in female-headed households. Among women in male-headed households, but not female household heads themselves, severe FI was associated with a non-significant increase in the likelihood of being in a relationship because of material goods [adjusted prevalence ratio (PRa) = 1.76, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.81, 3.81] and was inversely associated with being able to ask partners to use condoms (PRa = 0.47, 95 % CI 0.25, 0.88). There was not a strong association between food security and relationship power. Our findings suggest that the association between FI and HIV risk behavior may differ depending on the type of household.

Income Distribution among Households in Owerri Agricultural Area of Imo State, Nigeria

The broad objective of this study was to examine income distribution and estimate the Gini (G) coefficient of income distribution among households in the Owerri Agricultural Zone of Imo State, Nigeria. The multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting the sample. The sample size comprised ninety households who were randomly selected and interviewed using structured questionnaire. Analysis of the data show that the mean monthly income among male-headed households is N5117.13, while that among women in male-headed households is N2800.38. Analysis of the Gini (G) coefficient of income distribution among male headed households (G=0.306) and that among women in male headed households (G=0.331) show that there are inequitable distribution of income in the area. It was suggested that the income Level of the households could be enhanced through education, income stabilization and poverty alleviation programmes, and employment guarantee schemes such as the creation of facilities for agricultural credit to directly benefit the poor and the more vulnerable groups. It was concluded that there are low-income level, income inequality and high level of poverty among households in the area. [IJARD Vol.3 2002: 28-36]

Addressing food security in Africa via multiple livelihood strategies of women farmers

Because food insecurity is primarily a problem of low household incomes and poverty, and not just inadequate food production, projects and programs for food insecure African farmers which aim at increasing production of subsistence crops may be ineffective. Instead, government should look for ways to improve returns to farmers' resources in a broader context, which may include expanded opportunities for non-farm microenterprises and agricultural labor. This has been the conventional wisdom since the writings of Amartya Sen. Still unclear, however, are the implications of his thinking for the roles of African women farmers who are traditionally the food-crop producers in Africa and are often food insecure. Immediate expansion of income-earning activities such as cash cropping and non-farm microenterprises may not be possible for women in male headed households in many African societies where cash income is seen as part of the male domain. In addition, women farmers may need a long adjustment period to diversify their income sources fully because most African countries are at the early stages of structural transformation. Different developmental interventions, both in policy and in technology, are therefore needed to address food security and economic transformations in Africa in the short and long term.

Household Structure and Dietary Patterns in the Afro-Ecuadorian Highlands

Dietary patterns in contemporary societies have been a primary focus of nutritional and anthropological research. Class, occupation, income, and gender have been studied when analyzing dietary patterns and the roots of malnutrition and hunger; however, the effects of household structure have received less attention. The main purpose of our study was to obtain information on the diet of a highland Afro-Ecuadorian community and examine the relationship between household structure and dietary patterns. Survey questionnaires, in-depth questionnaires, and participant observation were utilized to examine how women in female-headed households compare with women in male-headed households in meeting the dietary needs of their families. There was no significant difference in food-acquisition patterns. Weekly expenditures for food in the two types of households were similar, despite different income levels. However, female-headed households had higher food-group scores and consumed more meals per day.

Household headship and child nutrition: A case study in Western Kenya

The effect of female household headship on child nutrition has been hypothesized by some to be negative, based on the assumption that mothers alone will be poorer and will have greater demands on their time and resources. On the other hand, there is some evidence in Kenya that the nutritional status of children of female heads may be better than that of children of male heads, suggesting that when women have more control over resources, more goes to the children. In Kenya, de facto female headship is common due to male labor migration. This study examines the relationship between child nutrition and de facto female vs male household headship in western Kenya through the examination of family income and decision making patterns. Women in male-headed households had greater financial responsibility for household maintenance. Female heads assumed more farming responsibilities and had higher remittances from husbands. Husbands of female heads purchased food and other goods in the city for use by the household. Male headed households produced more food crops and used a larger proportion of them for home consumption. In this study, children of female heads consumed a greater variety of foods. Despite a greater prevalence of stunting, there was a lower prevalence of low weight for age among children of female heads. However, in statistical analyses, headship did not relate significantly to nutritional intake or status. In attempting to understand the possible factors influencing the relationship between headship and nutritional status, we found trade-offs in the ways families were coping, which appeared to balance some of the negative and positive effects of each situation.