Food security as a gender issue: why are female-headed households worse off compared to similar male-headed counterparts?

Abstract

The centrality of gender equity for inclusive development is a concept that is not contestable. The manifestations of inequality predicated on gender are myriad. These range from unequal access to educational opportunities, gender-based discrimination and social norms that constrain the participation of women and other groups that are unfairly marginalized from the development process. In this brief, we focus on the results from research projects that examined how the differential food security situation is predicated on gender. We examine why given similar opportunities and demographic profiles, female-headed households (FHHs) tend to perform worse than their counterparts, male-headed households (MHHs). In particular, we find that two households that are similar in every respect (except that one is headed by a woman and the other by a man) have different food security outcomes. What explains this? What does this mean for gender-sensitive inclusive and equitable agriculture? This brief discusses these issues based on recently published research from Kenya.