Women’s Role in Food Security
Why Food Insecurity Affects Women More Adversely
In our project, we aim to focus on how single moms or single-headed households can be food insecure. Women in traditional society are responsible for grocery shopping, planning meals, and cooking meals for themselves and their families. Women thus have the power of choosing what to eat and teaching the importance of nutrition to their families.
Food swamps often leave women without choices of healthy meals for their family. These areas will only have fast food chains that are affordable but not nutritious. Women may have the option of taking the bus or traveling a farther distance to get more nutritious groceries at a lower price, but with added inconvenience.
Women are often in charge of teaching the importance of nutrition to their children. Eating produce can contribute to healthy habits and better overall physical and mental health. Besides schools, moms are often the instructors of nutrition.
Typically, women with children take much of the burden of being food insecure, often prioritizing their children’s food needs over their own. Women will sacrifice their own health and nutritional intake to ensure their growing child gets the nutrients they need. Women in food insecure households will not portray to their families that they lack food, and will go without for their children.
In connection to COVID-19, the pandemic has shut down schools for the better part of a year. This adversely affects the food security and nutrients for many children who rely on government subsidized lunch. Without going to school, children lost a source of food that parents (moms) need to make up for somehow. We will further explain what resources are available as well as what the federal government and local governments in Atlanta and New York are doing to combat food insecurity.
