Women’s Meals Mirror Might in Global Study

Beans Fuel Power: Women’s Diets Shape Strength

Rome: In the sunlit fields of Fujoni district in Zanzibar, Tanzania, a quiet revolution is unfolding as enumerators weave through rural households, gathering data that ties women’s empowerment to the foods they eat, revealing that access to pulses like beans signals higher empowerment, while grains and tubers are staples even for the least empowered. A male enumerator sits with the household head, often a man, delving into a detailed questionnaire about their farm: the crops they grow, whether they rotate fields, and how much produce they sell at local markets. Once these agricultural details are recorded, he steps out, creating space for a female enumerator to speak privately with an adult woman in the household. This second conversation, ideally led by a woman to foster trust, explores sensitive topics like her views on unwelcome male advances, her freedom in family planning decisions, and her influence over household spending. The enumerator also asks about the foods she consumed in the past day, a seemingly simple question that unveils her role and level of empowerment within the family.

These efforts are part of the ambitious 50×2030 Initiative, where the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and national governments, sends statisticians to farmlands across Africa and Asia to uncover how food security and women’s diets intersect with empowerment. In Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, National Statistical Offices are rolling out the Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition (WEN) questionnaire, crafted by the FAO for nutrition insights and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for empowerment metrics. Women are presented with a list of ten food groups, from grains to meats, and asked which they ate in the past 24 hours. This dietary diversity is a vital measure of health and wellbeing, reflecting not just access to food but also a woman’s agency within her household.

The link between empowerment and nutrition is striking. Early data from the surveys show that women with greater empowerment consume more diverse foods like pulses, meats, and eggs, while even the least empowered have access to grains, white roots, and tubers. Yet, the data also reveal a twist: highly empowered women are also more likely to eat processed foods, sugary drinks, and sweets, suggesting empowerment doesn’t always translate to healthier diets. This nuanced correlation is guiding policymakers to craft strategies that boost both nutrition and women’s roles in agrifood systems, ensuring agriculture better meets nutritional and livelihood needs across communities.

The focus on women’s perspectives is no accident. Nour Masoud, Statistics Manager in Tanzania’s Office of the Chief Government Statistician, explains, “Governments are striving to empower women and to better understand the challenges they face, both within their households and in society.” This push for sex-disaggregated data is critical to designing policies that reflect women’s lived realities. FAO Statistician Chiara Brunelli adds, “It is not just about what’s morally right, but it is also a critical driver of economic growth, social stability, and innovation because when women have access to education, healthcare, and equal opportunities, societies thrive.” The FAO’s 2024 report on the Status of Women in Agrifood Systems reinforces this, stating that gender equality and empowerment are central to building sustainable, productive, and resilient agrifood systems, while such transformations also advance women’s empowerment in a virtuous cycle.

In Zanzibar, women like Mtumwa Faki Omari, a homemaker who recently welcomed her sixth child, embody the stakes of this work. She shares, “Babies grow up healthy and strong when they are breastfed properly. But it’s just as important for breastfeeding mothers to eat balanced, nutritious meals so they can stay healthy and support their babies’ growth.” Similarly, Asha Abdallah, an older farmer, takes pride in feeding her grandchildren well. “When my grandchildren visit, I make sure they receive nutritious meals,” she says. “In the morning, I usually prepare hot porridge made from beans, millet, and other healthy ingredients.” These personal stories highlight how access to foods like beans, rich in protein, ties directly to women’s roles in nurturing their families.

The Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition module’s results are still being analysed, but the value of sex-disaggregated data is already clear. It ensures that women’s needs are not overlooked in agricultural and nutrition programs, as Masoud notes, “It ensures that the needs of women are not overlooked in agricultural and nutrition programmes.” The FAO is committed to expanding this module to more countries, working closely with governments to ensure that women like Mtumwa and Asha are not just surveyed but truly heard, their voices shaping policies that address their realities and potential. By linking everyday meals to broader empowerment, these surveys are planting seeds for stronger, healthier, and more equitable communities across the globe.

– global bihari bureau