A gender assessment of Malawi's National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan 2007–2012

Mkandawire, Elizabeth; Hendriks, Sheryl L.; Mkandawire‐Valhmu, Lucy

doi:10.1111/dpr.12287

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Selected policy documents were analyzed using an adaptation of the WHO Gender Assessment Tool (GAT) (World Health Organization 2011), previously applied to evaluate the ''gender-responsiveness'' of health and nutrition policies in Malawi (Pendleton and Mellish 2015;Mkandawire et al 2018). Our adapted tool provides a rapid assessment of the overall level of ''youth-responsiveness,'' together with potential gaps, by comparing the definition, framing and prioritization of youth, SRH, and participation (''Electronic Supplementary Material, Appendix 3'').…”

Section: Document Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth participation in sexual and reproductive health: policy, practice, and progress in Malawi

Wigle

Paul

Birn

et al. 2020

Int J Public Health

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Objectives Ensuring youth participation in policymaking that affects their health and well-being is increasingly recognized as a strategy to improve young people's reproductive health. This paper aimed to describe the policy context and analyze underlying factors that influence youth participation in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policymaking in Malawi. Methods This critical, focused ethnographic study is informed by postcolonial feminism and difference-centered citizenship theory, based on data collected from October 2017 to May 2018. Multiple research methods were employed: document analysis, focus group discussions, and ''moderate'' participant observation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants and youth, supplemented by open-ended drawing exercises with youth. Results Progressive policies and the presence of youth in some policymaking structures indicate substantial headway in Malawi. However, underlying structural and societal factors circumscribe young people's lived experiences of participation. Conclusions Despite recent progress in involving young people in SRH policymaking, notable gaps remain between policy and practice. Recognizing and integrating young people in all stages of SRH policymaking is critical to catalyzing the social and political changes necessary to ensure their reproductive health and well-being. Keywords Youth Á Adolescent Á Young people Á Reproductive health Á Participation Á Policymaking Á Malawi This article is part of the special issue ''Sexual and reproductive health of young people-Focus Africa''. The Rudolf Geigy Foundation (Basel, Switzerland) funded the open access publication of this article.

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Section: Document Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth participation in sexual and reproductive health: policy, practice, and progress in Malawi

Wigle

Paul

Birn

et al. 2020

Int J Public Health

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“…This finding is not necessarily representative of the rest of the country. Other studies from Ntcheu and Northern Malawi, with similar programming, indicate some advances in undoing traditional gender roles [ 30 , 42 , 43 ]. In these cases, men recognised the need to support women with housework.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A qualitative assessment of gender roles in child nutrition in Central Malawi

Mkandawire

Bisai

Dyke³

et al. 2022

BMC Public Health

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Background Child malnutrition persists globally with men and women playing distinct roles to support children’s nutrition. Women frequently carry the bulk of the workload related to food, care, and health, all of which are critical factors in child nutrition. For this reason, development efforts have emphasised women ignoring the potential role of men in supporting children’s nutrition. This study sought to understand the different roles that Malawian men and women play in children’s nutrition. Methods This qualitative was conducted in rural Central Malawi as part of a baseline study in 2017 for the CARE Southern Africa Nutrition Initiative. Seventy-six participants were interviewed, including 19 men and 57 women, using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. We sought to understand the gender distribution of men’s and women’s roles and how these roles influence child nutrition. Results We found that both men and women were involved in productive, reproductive, and community work. However, consistent with the literature, women carried a disproportionate workload in supporting child nutrition compared to men. Women’s heavier workloads often prevented them from being able to meet children’s food needs. Nevertheless, shifts in gender roles were observed in some of the sampled communities, with men taking up responsibilities that have been typically associated with women. These changes in gender roles, however, did not necessarily increase women’s power within the household. Conclusions Traditional gender roles remain prevalent in the sampled communities. Women continue to be primarily responsible for the food, care, and health of the household. Women’s heavy workloads prevent them from providing optimal care and nutrition for children. While efforts to advance gender equality by encouraging men to participate in child care and other household responsibilities appear to have had marginal success, the extent to which these efforts have successfully encouraged men to share power remains unclear. Improving gender equality and child nutrition will require efforts to redistribute gendered work and encourage men to move towards shared power with women over household decision-making and control over income.

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“…This nding is not necessarily representative of the rest of the country. However, other studies from Ntcheu and Northern Malawi, with similar programming, indicate some advances in undoing traditional gender roles (24,32,42). In these cases, men recognised the need to support women with housework.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A Qualitative Assessment of Gender Roles and Implications for Child Nutrition in Central Malawi

Mkandawire

Bisai

Dyke

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Child malnutrition persists globally. While progress in reducing stunting has been witnessed over the last six years, this progress is not sufficient to meet Sustainable Development Goal targets on stunting. In Africa, child malnutrition is estimated to result in between 1.6 to 16% losses in gross domestic product. Undernutrition is also attributed as a cause of death for 11% of African children aged five years and below. Men and women play distinct roles in supporting a child's nutrition. Women frequently carry the bulk of the workload related to food, care, and health, all of which are critical factors in child nutrition. Using focus group discussions and individual interviews with communities in rural Central Malawi, we sought to understand the roles played by men and women in achieving child nutrition in this qualitative study. We found that both men and women were involved in productive, reproductive, and community work. However, consistent with the literature, women carried a disproportionate workload in supporting child nutrition compared to men. Women's heavier workloads often prevented them from being able to meet children's food needs. Nevertheless, shifts in gender roles were observed in some of the sampled communities, with men taking up responsibilities that have been typically associated with women. This undoing of gender roles did not necessarily increase women's power within the household. Improving gender equality and child nutrition will require efforts to redistribute gendered work and encourage men to move towards shared power over household decision-making and control over income with women.

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A gender assessment of Malawi's National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan 2007–2012

Cited by 7 publications

References 16 publications

Youth participation in sexual and reproductive health: policy, practice, and progress in Malawi

Youth participation in sexual and reproductive health: policy, practice, and progress in Malawi

A qualitative assessment of gender roles in child nutrition in Central Malawi

A Qualitative Assessment of Gender Roles and Implications for Child Nutrition in Central Malawi

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