Understanding social equity and sustainability interactions in the Sustainable Development Goals: Gender differences in food security

The document examines the intersection of gender equality and food security, arguing that gender discrimination is a primary driver of hunger. Through a literature review of 27 articles, it finds that gender-related policies typically have a positive impact on food security, while food security interventions can sometimes constrain women's positions within the family if social norms are not addressed. The brief highlights that women and female-headed households are more prone to food insecurity due to limited access to assets, land, and decision-making power. It calls for gender-differentiated data and a holistic approach to power relationships to ensure that sustainability goals are achieved without leaving women and girls behind.

• Women and girls are more likely to experience hunger and poor nutrition than men and boys due to systemic inequalities. Women heads of households often have fewer assets and economic opportunities, and women farmers typically lack access to extension services, farm gear, and fertilizers.
• A literature review of 27 articles indicates that interactions between gender equality (SDG 5) and food security (SDG 2.1) are more often positive than negative, with roughly twice as many positive interactions. In over 75% of the cases, the gender dimension or policy area acted as the source of influence on food security.
• Gender discrimination is deeply embedded in social and cultural norms, which can limit the effectiveness of food security interventions if not addressed simultaneously. For example, in Ethiopia, girls in severely food-insecure households are more likely than boys to report being food-insecure, suggesting a cultural priority to protect boys during food shortages.
• Women's participation in decision-making is hindered by imbalanced power relationships and lack of assets. In Kenya, women fish traders were largely excluded from policy-making despite their expertise, and in Ghana, women and youth were often excluded from intra-household decisions regarding land use.
• Globalization has mixed effects on women's food security. While it can provide improved technology and information, it has also led to declining food self-sufficiency and widening inequalities. In Ghana, a shift toward cash crops controlled by men negatively impacted women and girls.
• Women's empowerment is a critical determinant of household food security. Evidence from the Philippines and South Africa shows that community-based initiatives and higher levels of economic agency and financial management skills in women-headed households correlate with improved food security.

APA

Taylor, R., Besa, M. C., Matin, N., & Davis, M. (2017). Understanding social equity and sustainability interactions in the Sustainable Development Goals: Gender differences in food security. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2017-Gender-food-security-interactions-SDGs.pdf

Chicago

Taylor, Richard, Mònica Coll Besa, Nilufar Matin, and Marion Davis. Understanding social equity and sustainability interactions in the Sustainable Development Goals: Gender differences in food security. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2017. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2017-Gender-food-security-interactions-SDGs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Taylor |first1=Richard |last2=Besa |first2=Mònica Coll |last3=Matin |first3=Nilufar |last4=Davis |first4=Marion |title=Understanding social equity and sustainability interactions in the Sustainable Development Goals: Gender differences in food security |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2017 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2017-Gender-food-security-interactions-SDGs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{taylor2017understanding, author = {Taylor, Richard and Besa, Mònica Coll and Matin, Nilufar and Davis, Marion}, title = {{Understanding social equity and sustainability interactions in the Sustainable Development Goals: Gender differences in food security}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2017}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2017-Gender-food-security-interactions-SDGs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }