Women and Food Crises: How US Food Aid Policies Can Better Support their Struggles
Karen Hansen-Kuhn (2008)
This ActionAid USA discussion paper highlights some of the key issues in modern food crises and explores some opportunities for engaging women more actively in the quest for more effective answers. Women suffer disproportionately from food crises, but also contribute more than their share to the potential solutions. Traditional forms of food aid have largely failed to recognize and enhance the productive capacity of women, and this means that food aid has been ineffective in contributing to lasting solutions to hunger.
The paper emphasises that:
Women play a leading role in food production, and in translating production into family welfare. They are often the guardians of traditional knowledge of seed varieties and crops that can be grown in less than ideal climatic conditions.
At the same time, women struggle with limited access to land and credit and confront especially difficult challenges in situations of high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
Donors should
Balance food aid provision with longer-term assistance and more comprehensive programs for agricultural development that are designed to support women’s crucial contributions to agricultural production.
Support a transition from the provision of food aid as commodities to more flexible cash funding. Cash could be used to purchase food at the regional or local level, potentially supporting the development of local and regional markets.
Support the establishment of structures at community, regional and national levels to ensure that women’s voices are heard in the design and implementation of food and agriculture policies and donor assistance programs.
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