Household Food Insecurity and Women: Issues and Challenges

Women have a major role in food processing, crop cultivation, food production as well as in reproduction. Young women in the third world spend almost three fourths of their prime time of life in an almost continuous state of pregnancy and lactation. They also work long hours in family food production, child care and household management and often work longer hours than men. It is unfortunate that the world does not pay enough attention to their health, as well as their economic and social well-being. They usually suffer from a rather poor health status which is characterized by shorter life expectancy, high incidence of maternal mortality and low weight gain during pregnancy, low birth weight, poor physical stature, delayed menarche, low productivity and Micro-nutrient Deficiency Disorders like Anaemia. So it is the need of the hour to encourage and educated people about various indigenous food processing methods to ensure nutritional security of the women of child bearing age at household level and reduce various health risks related to the micro-nutrient deficiencies.