The Role of Women in Income Production and Intra-household Allocation of Resources as a Determinant of Child Nutrition and Health

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical framework for answering the question, Does women's income-producing work result in an improvement or a deterioration in the health and nutritional status of their children? The author maintains that the literature has not provided clear evidence that the children of working mothers have lower nutritional status than those of mothers who do not work outside the home. She notes that previous studies have not controlled either for the family's income level or for other important variables, such as the presence of an employed male and land tenure status. Bennett argues that one of the key steps in understanding women's role in the determination of child health and nutritional status “may be a careful investigation of the process of resource allocation within the household. “ She opposes the use of a single joint-utility function as an adequate representation of household decision-making dynamics. Her recommendations include conducting investigations from an interdisciplinary approach, including economics, health, nutrition, and anthropology, and she presents a framework for these investigations.