Ensuring equitable resource allocation and gender sensitive policies in supporting food production and security in Southern Africa

Abstract

Gender disparities in resource allocation and non gender responsive policies are important constraint to increasing food production and security in Southern Africa. The discussion attempt to explore the role of equitable resource allocation and development of gender sensitive policies and their implications for improving food production and security in Southern Africa. Gender responsive policies are meant to catalyze a change process for ending gender discrimination and securing women’s access to key productive resources. It is believed that without specific attention to gender issues in food production and security strategies, unknowingly policy may reinforce inequalities between women and men, and may even increase productive resources imbalances. It must be emphasized that addressing gender resource allocation disparities and development of gender sensitive policies is an integral part of enabling women to guarantee their families’—and their own—well-being. Little attention has been paid to the differential impacts of resource allocation disparities and development of gender sensitive policies on food production and security, or to which delivery mechanisms may be more effective in addressing women needs and concerns in food production and security. It is assumed that traditional food production policies are not gender-responsive and typically do not consult women who are the majority end-users, improved varieties and technologies do not take into account women’s needs, preferences, and resources, as a result the high rate of failure of intervention food production and security strategies. However, policy makers should be aware that development and implementation of gender responsive policies and equitable gender resource allocation are likely to be mistaken for violation of social norms or adversely affect gender relations within the household, leading to less successful adoption and potential backlash against women. Thus, interventions that seek to remove obstacles in gender resource allocation need to consider the trade-offs inherent in challenging and respecting gender norms.