Gender roles in South Asian food systems

Women are central to agrifood systems but face structural barriers such as limited access to resources, weak tenure and resource rights, and social norms that undervalue and restrict their contributions. • Women’s time in reproductive and care work is unrecognized, limits their participation in productive or market-oriented work, and reinforces gender disparities in time, income, and well-being. • Gender norms and social hierarchies shape women’s roles and limit empowerment across the food system, from agriculture to markets to the distribution of tasks and food within households, affecting diet and nutrition outcomes. • Policy must go beyond recognizing women’s work to leveling access to resources, ensuring fair pay and safe conditions, and tackling restrictive norms through gender-transformative approaches. • Empowering women in food systems requires intersectional, data-driven action that addresses caste, class, mobility, and intrahousehold dynamics to ensure equitable food, livelihood, and health outcomes. • Areas for future research include: engaging men, particularly in sharing care work; reducing labor burdens; and changing attitudes of the young through in-school curricula.