Nutrition: Gender

Nutrition affects a range of health and social issues, including pregnancy outcomes, household food security, and local and national economic development. Inadequate nutrition for women and their children is the underlying cause of 3.5 million deaths around the world every year. Women in developing countries face micronutrient deficiencies, infections, the toll of heavy physical labor and other threats to their nutritional well-being throughout their lives.

Gender inequality also contributes to inadequate nutrition and food insecurity among women and children. For example, in many households in developing countries, women do not have the power to decide how food and other resources should be distributed among household members, including their children and themselves.

FHI 360 recognizes the impact of gender inequality on nutrition and crucial role of women in providing proper nutrition for their families. Our programs include solutions that are tailored for specific contexts. For example, our Uganda Community Connector project links livelihoods to improved nutrition by addressing ingrained gender inequalities within families.

We partner with governments and organizations around the world to heighten the focus on women’s nutrition and to ensure that women and children receive proper nutrition. Our Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III Project provides evidence-based tools and support to improve the nutritional status of women, children and other beneficiaries. Through the Alive & Thrive program, we work to increase rates of breastfeeding and improved complementary feeding.

FHI 360’s Balasahyoga program in India uses family case managers to connect children and families to essential care services, including nutrition and food security initiatives.

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Nutrition: Gender