The role of rural women in household food security and nutrition management in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Ensuring nutrition at the household level has been one of the greatest challenges for rural communities in Bangladesh. In this study, a coastal sub-district in Barguna, Bangladesh was selected for data collection, where we undertook 20 focus group discussions, 10 key informant interviews, and dietary diversity scoring with 50 respondents to understand women’s involvement in decision-making and income-generating activity. Based on descriptive and thematic analyses, we found that women’s participation in various income-generating activities made them self-dependent in decision-making within their households, which in turn improved their roles in household food security and nutritional management. The pattern of family food distribution revealed that most women ate meals leftover by males, whereas 48 percent consumed food from less than four food groups. These findings should be useful for public health workers, activists, and national/international stakeholders involved in improving the dietary quality and nutritional status of rural people.