Women’s empowerment, livestock and household food and nutrition security: empirical evidence from Malawi : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master at Lincoln University

Abstract

In this study, we examine the relationship between women’s empowerment in livestock and household food and nutrition security. Employing data collected from 400 randomly selected households in two major livestock producing Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in Nsanje District, Malawi, we compute the Women’s Empowerment in Livestock Index (WELI) and estimate its impact on two indicators for food and nutrition security: Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS). Tobit regression results show that empowerment of women in the livestock sector, especially in decisions pertaining to agricultural production, nutrition, and income control, increases household dietary diversity. In addition, factors such as household income, household size, and main occupation of the household head also play a significant role in ensuring household dietary diversity. On the HFIAS scale, whereas the aggregate WELI measure is not statistically significant, women’s agency in agricultural production decisions and household income have positive impacts on household food security. The results highlight that nutrition-sensitive programmes should target women’s agency in livestock production and nutrition decisions for improved food and nutrition security in low income and lower middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.