An analysis by humanitarian organization CARE highlights, for the first time, a global link between inequality experienced by women and girls and food insecurity. Analysing data from 2021, the report shows that across 109 countries, as inequality goes up, food security goes down.

Christine Campeau, CARE’s Global Advocacy Director – Food Systems, said, “Between 2018 and 2021, the number of hungry women versus hungry men grew 8.4 times, with a staggering 150 million more women than men hungry in 2021. And the implications of the escalation of conflict in Ukraine will make the situation even worse for women, who play a crucial role across food systems and in feeding their families and communities. Inequality based on sex is highly connected to food and nutrition security at a local, national, and global level. To put it simply, the more inequality faced by women and girls there is in a country, the hungrier and more malnourished people are.”

Of the four major global datasets, the only sex disaggregated food indicators reinforce women’s role solely for their importance in reproduction: measuring anemia in women of childbearing age and counting stunting for children. Most food security datasets remain conspicuously silent on sex-based disparities. And, despite a significant portion of food preparation and purchasing being managed by individuals responsible for household nourishment, those individuals are often the last to eat and receive the least food.

Even when both men and women are technically food insecure, women often bear bigger burdens. For example, in Somalia, while men report eating smaller meals, women report skipping meals altogether.

Aisha, who lives in a village in eastern Somalia said, “I don’t remember how old I really am, the drought has affected me mentally and physically so much that I can’t remember. Most days we don’t get anything to eat, other days we eat one meal.”

In the World Bank portal focused on food and women, the only sex disaggregated food data is related to the number of women who believe, or do not believe, that a husband is justified in beating his wife when she burns the food.

Ms Campeau underscored the need to recognize the central role of women in sustaining global food systems, stating that “as women keep feeding the world,” it is critical to ensure data systems allow for their realities to be seen and addressed. She called for improvements in data collection methods to make “the gaps they encounter visible” and stressed that “global datasets should be publishing sex disaggregated data on food.” To advance this effort, she emphasized the urgency to “update our global understanding of food security and the inequality lived by women and girls” and advocated for directing “flexible funding and support” to local organizations in crisis-affected areas to help mitigate risks of hunger-related violence and protection threats.

About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organisation fighting global poverty. CARE has more than seven decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters. To learn more, visit www.care-international.org  

For media enquiries contact:

Suzy Sainovski
Senior Humanitarian Communications Coordinator, CARE International
Email: suzy.sainovski@care.org
Skype: suzy.sainovski