Gender, Health and Household Food Security: Evidence from Rural Pakistan

Abstract

The present study focuses on finding out gender differences with respect to food distribution within households. The study also intends to find out if there is any gender difference in health conditions among household members with reference to the availability of ood. The study employs quantitative design. Purposive sampling technique of non- probability sampling was used. Household survey was conducted in tehsil Jatoi, district Muzaffargarh in the province of Punjab, Pakistan, to get the data using a questionnaire. The sample comprised of one hundred households, among which eleven were female headed households and rest eighty-nine were male headed households. The major findings of the study reveal that there is a significant gender difference with respect to food distribution within households. The study also shows that gender disparities are also there with respect to the health condition among men and women. The present study adds to the literature of gender and household food security, and it also puts forth some recommendations for the policy makers to take into account in order to fill the gender disparities with respect to food security. These recommendations include improving the health status of women, reforming institutions to improve the status of women, and designing "mainstream" gender sensitive projects.