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Women’s Empowerment, Food Security, and Nutrition Transition in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Mosses Lufuke

    (College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
    Department of Economics, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma P.O. Box 259, Tanzania)

  • Yunli Bai

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    United Nations Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), Beijing 100101, China)

  • Shenggen Fan

    (College of Economics and Management & Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Xu Tian

    (College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
    College of Economics and Management & Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

Despite mounting recognition of the essential role of women’s empowerment in household dietary and nutrition changes, the diversity of culture across African countries presents ambiguity as to whether its impact is experienced homogeneously across the continent. This article presents a systematic review of whether women’s empowerment changes household dietary patterns, contributes to nutrition improvement, and consequently affects diet-related health outcomes in Africa. We find that whilst more research needs to be conducted, particularly with improved methodologies that can establish cause–effect relationships, there is consensus among the literature on the link between women’s empowerment and some domains of food security and dietary improvement. Meanwhile, studies on women’s empowerment and the additional demand pressure on some food categories are quite limited. This exacerbates the challenge of setting production plans that aim to address the continent’s question of food.

Suggested Citation

  • Mosses Lufuke & Yunli Bai & Shenggen Fan & Xu Tian, 2022. "Women’s Empowerment, Food Security, and Nutrition Transition in Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:254-:d:1013480
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vongai Gillian Murugani & Joyce Magoshi Thamaga-Chitja, 2019. "How does women's empowerment in agriculture affect household food security and dietary diversity? The case of rural irrigation schemes in Limpopo Province, South Africa," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(3), pages 308-323, July.
    2. Hazel Jean L. Malapit & Suneetha Kadiyala & Agnes R. Quisumbing & Kenda Cunningham & Parul Tyagi, 2015. "Women's Empowerment Mitigates the Negative Effects of Low Production Diversity on Maternal and Child Nutrition in Nepal," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(8), pages 1097-1123, August.
    3. Erin Lentz & Elizabeth Bageant & Sudha Narayanan, 2021. "Empowerment and nutrition in Niger: insights from the Women’s Empowerment in Nutrition grid," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(5), pages 1227-1244, October.
    4. Mindy Price & Alessandra Galie & Jennifer Marshall & Ngozichukwuka Agu, 2018. "Elucidating linkages between women’s empowerment in livestock and nutrition: a qualitative study," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 510-524, May.
    5. Ross, Kara L. & Zereyesus, Yacob & Shanoyan, Aleksan & Amanor-Boadu, Vincent, 2015. "The Health Effects of Women Empowerment: Recent Evidence from Northern Ghana," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 18(1), pages 1-17, February.
    6. Wei Wei & Tanwne Sarker & Wioletta Żukiewicz-Sobczak & Rana Roy & G. M. Monirul Alam & Md. Ghulam Rabbany & Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain & Noshaba Aziz, 2021. "The Influence of Women’s Empowerment on Poverty Reduction in the Rural Areas of Bangladesh: Focus on Health, Education and Living Standard," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, June.
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