Institute for Food, Nutrition and Wellbeing, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
PLoS One. 2019 Aug 23;14(8):e0221623. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221623. eCollection 2019.
Many studies purport that in low-income countries, women are often responsible for producing, preparing and purchasing food. Consequently, policies related to food and nutrition overemphasise the role of women, underestimating the potential for cooperation and complementarity between men and women. This focus on women does not account for socially constructed expectations of women that undermine their decision-making in resource allocation. Using desk reviews, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, our case study in Malawi sought to understand the complementary role of men in maternal and child nutrition. International agreements and Malawi's policies were reviewed to understand how men's involvement emerged on the nutrition policy agenda. Policymakers, stakeholders and men and women from rural Central Malawi were interviewed, sharing their experiences of men's role in maternal and child health. The study found that men's involvement in maternal and child health has been on the development agenda since as early as 1995. Malawi has made efforts to involve men in these areas through several policy actions and programmes. Contrary to literature suggesting that women are the main producers, procurers and preparers of food, this study found that men in rural Central Malawi are increasingly becoming responsible for providing and purchasing food. Men also play a supportive role in food preparation, helping women access diverse diets during and after pregnancy. They also take up a supportive role in household activities, providing women with assistance in housework and looking after children. The positive change in men's roles presents an opportunity for exploring how men can contribute to food security and nutrition. Opportunities exist for designing inclusive food and agriculture policies that promote cooperation between men and women in food and nutrition. These policies can challenge misinterpretations of women's role in food security and the underlying systems that reinforce gender inequalities.
许多研究声称，在低收入国家，妇女往往负责生产、准备和购买食物。因此，与食物和营养相关的政策过分强调了妇女的作用，低估了男女之间合作和互补的潜力。这种对妇女的关注没有考虑到社会对妇女的期望，这些期望破坏了她们在资源分配方面的决策能力。我们在马拉维的案例研究使用案头审查、深入访谈和焦点小组讨论，旨在了解男子在孕产妇和儿童营养方面的互补作用。我们审查了国际协议和马拉维的政策，以了解男子参与营养政策议程是如何出现的。我们采访了马拉维中部农村地区的政策制定者、利益攸关方以及男女，分享了他们对男子在孕产妇和儿童健康方面作用的经验。研究发现，早在 1995 年，男子参与孕产妇和儿童健康就已列入发展议程。马拉维通过几项政策行动和方案，努力让男子参与这些领域。与文献中暗示妇女是食物的主要生产者、采购者和准备者的观点相反，这项研究发现，马拉维中部农村地区的男子越来越多地负责提供和购买食物。男子还在食物准备方面发挥了支持作用，帮助妇女在怀孕中和怀孕后获得多样化的饮食。他们还在家庭活动中发挥支持作用，帮助妇女做家务和照顾孩子。男子角色的积极变化为探索男子如何为粮食安全和营养做出贡献提供了机会。存在着设计包容性的粮食和农业政策的机会，这些政策可以促进男女在粮食和营养方面的合作。这些政策可以挑战对妇女在粮食安全中的作用的误解，以及加强性别不平等的潜在制度。
