Evidence from Malawi: Why agricultural and nutrition education programs should engage both women and men in households
- From
-
Published on
14.05.19
- Impact Area

Gender norms and inequalities are an important factor in Malawi’s ongoing food security problems. They shape agricultural practices and production, knowledge acquisition, innovation, food choices—and ultimately household food security and nutrition. Women have generally lower levels of education and lack decision-making power over fertility, farming, and resource allocation, all contributing to food insecurity. Gender norms may also restrict women’s ability to attend agriculture trainings and put that knowledge into practice.
Typically, agriculture and nutrition education programs focus on addressing the lack of women’s access to trainings. But our recent paper, published in Global Food Security, paints a more nuanced picture of this challenge in Malawi. The findings suggest that agricultural and nutrition information programs be more carefully targeted to different problems specific to different gendered household types and to promote collaboration between men and women.
Related news
-
New Zinc-Rich Rice Variety “Spoorthi” Rolled Out in India
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)07.07.25-
Nutrition
Telangana, India (18 June 2025) – To help combat zinc deficiency and improve nutrition through…
Read more -
-
Ensuring water security in Africa requires gender-transformative change at scale
Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator13.06.25-
Gender equality
-
Gender equality, youth & social inclusion
Water insecurity impacts agrifood systems across Africa— impacted by climate change, coloni…
Read more -
-
Breakthrough at ICRISAT: World’s First Extreme Heat-Tolerant Pigeonpea Developed via Speed Breeding
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)09.06.25-
Food security
-
Nutrition
Breakthrough cultivar ICPV 25444, developed through speed breeding, tolerates temperatures of 45°C …
Read more -