Food insecurity in Zimbabwean households: is gender a factor?

Some researchers studying household food insecurity only survey the head of a household. They do not ask other household members, including children, about their experiences of food insecurity. Could this approach be overlooking important differences in food security within households, for example between girls and boys?

Research from Iowa State University in the USA looks at children’s impressions of their household’s level of food insecurity. This study aimed to find out whether there are differences in food security between girls and boys. It also investigated whether being an orphan has an impact on level of food insecurity. This is particularly relevant to Zimbabwe, where 20 to 30 percent of children are orphans (according to UNAIDS).

The researchers used data from a Catholic Relief Services survey of 6,000 households across Zimbabwe in 2004. The survey questioned children between the ages of 6 and 18 about their household’s level of food insecurity. The households came from different areas: urban, peri-urban (near the city), rural, commercial farms and resettlement areas.

There was little evidence of differences in food security between girls and boys in the households surveyed. Both reported roughly the same level of food insecurity. However, the research produced other interesting findings:

• Being an orphan no impact on the level of food insecurity.
• There were no differences between girls and boys in terms of number of meals consumed each day.
• Approximately one in three children reported having inadequate food, with the results similar for girls and boys.
• A child living in a better quality house was 18 percent less likely to report inadequate food than a child in poor or extremely poor quality housing.
• About 60 percent of children reported that someone in their household went without food for a full day at some point.
• Children were equally likely to report food shortages across all age groups
• Children in households where adults had better employment were less likely to be food insecure.

These results show that gender is not a significant factor in determining the level of food insecurity within Zimbabwean households. This is not surprising; past studies from sub-Saharan Africa have also shown that food resources are allocated fairly within households. However, the results highlight other points for consideration:

• Future research could investigate whether this equality in food allocation also applies when comparing adults and children.
• Age emerged as an important factor in the survey, with adolescents aged 16 to 18 more likely than younger children to go without food. This is another area for future research.