Women empowerment and food-nutrition security in Sierra Leone: The Gender Model Family approach

Abstract

Abstract Background This research is conducted in the context of an integrated food security and nutrition project implemented by the Social Enterprise Development Foundation (SEND Sierra Leone) and Agro Forestry Farmers Association (AFFA) in rural Kenema and Pujehun Districts. This paper presents a qualitative ‘baseline’ action-learning research on the impact of the Gender Model Family (GMF) approach on women empowerment and the effects on enhanced outcomes along the agriculture-nutrition pathway. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth face-to-face interviews and focused group discussion (FGD) from the GMF beneficiaries. Results Linking Agriculture, Natural Resource Management and Nutrition (LANN) has nutrition security as its aim, and the project objectives and indicators focus on nutrition, not gender—however, this ‘baseline’ action-learning research recognized that gender is a major underlying factor. The evidence suggests that the GMF approach fosters women empowerment and enhances outcomes in food and nutrition security as there has been a change in social rules about men taking part in domestic household work and women involvement in family decision-making. Conclusions Given that women play crucial roles as administrators of household food and nutrition security, empowering them is intimately related to the consolidation of household food systems, improves nutrition intake and the fight against food-nutrition insecurity in rural Africa.