The role of multi-dimensional women's empowerment in agriculture to improve the nutritional status of under-five children in rural cash crop producing, resource-limited settings of Ethiopia

Abstract

Little is known about the relation between the women empowerment in agriculture index, and health and nutrition outcomes among under-five children in Ethiopia. The study's objective was to examine women's empowerment in agriculture and its association with the nutritional status of children (6–59 months) in rural, cash crop producing, and resource-limited settings of Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted employing 422 households; having women of reproductive age group and children under-five. Stratified simple random sampling was used to identify households; a simple random sampling was used to select villages and households. Women empowerment in agriculture was measured by the abbreviated women empowerment in agriculture index. Even if the overall multi-dimensional five domains of empowerment index (5DE) was not a significant predictor of nutritional status in children (P > 0⋅05), sub-indicators had a pivotal role in child nutritional status. Disempowerment in decisions about input into production [AOR = 8⋅85], empowerment on control of income [AOR = 0⋅35] and availability of livestock [AOR = 0⋅38] were predictors of child stunting, whereas women's disempowerment in production decisions seems beneficiary for wasting, disempowered women have 84 % less likely to have wasted child than empowered women [AOR = 0⋅16]. Dietary and agricultural diversity [particularly livestock farming], and women's empowerment in production decisions were predictors of better nutritional outcomes in children. Therefore, a concentrated effort is needed towards strengthening the multi-dimensional empowerment of women in agriculture emphasising women's input into production decisions, dietary and agricultural diversification, mainly livestock farming.

Examining the role of women’s engagement in khat production on child nutritional outcomes using longitudinal data in East Oromia, Ethiopia

“…There is a breadth of research investigating women’s empowerment and child nutrition, with many studies demonstrating positive relationships between women’s empowerment (or indicators of empowerment) and various child nutrition outcomes [9]. Studies in Ethiopia have demonstrated positive relationships between domains of women’s empowerment and child nutrition, including a positive association between empowerment in agricultural household decisions and increasing women’s access to and control of economic resources and stunting reduction [31]; a positive association between the five domains of empowerment (as measured by the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index [WEAI]) and children’s dietary diversity [32]; a positive association between survey-based women’s empowerment index (SWPER) social autonomy and decision-making scores and the odds of meeting children’s minimum dietary diversity [33]; a positive association between disempowerment in decisions about input into production and child stunting [34]; and an association between enhanced empowerment in socioeconomic status (i.e. increasing access to education, information, media, and promoting saving) and the likelihood of child stunting or wasting [35].…”

Breaking Barriers: How Women's Empowerment Affects Children's Nutrition Status – Further Analysis of the 2016 and 2019 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

“…As shown in Figure 1, having more bargaining power enables women to negotiate for access to resources for themselves and their children, which in turn helps improve their children's nutrition outcomes, as argued in (48,49). Malnutrition and women's disempowerment still remain signi cant challenges in developing countries like Ethiopia (50,51,52). According to the Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2019 report, the prevalence of stunting and wasting are among the highest in the world (50).…”

“…Malnutrition and women's disempowerment still remain signi cant challenges in developing countries like Ethiopia (50,51,52). According to the Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2019 report, the prevalence of stunting and wasting are among the highest in the world (50). Unfortunately, available studies showing the effect of women's empowerment on children's nutrition outcomes in Ethiopia have several drawbacks: they are not correctly weighted, missing values are not adequately considered, and/or are not generalizable to Ethiopia.…”