Abstract:
Food security has been prioritized in the domestic economic policies of many
developing nations. Nations gain from having a healthy population since it
immediately increases labor production and lowers spending on health-related
concern. Achieving food security is essential for a healthy nation since the
nutrition that people consume heavily influences how healthy the population
is. Many studies have identified that women play a significant role in reducing
food insecurity in their own households, hence there has been an increasing
trend to focus food security policies on women's empowerment. Despite the
fact that women are culturally allocated higher responsibility in practically all
household tasks, including household food management, there is a dearth of
research on the role of women in achieving household food security in Sri
Lanka. Hence, this study aimed to analyze the women's role in household food
security in rural Sri Lanka. This study is conducted using qualitative data
analysis using descriptive methods. The sample for this study will include 20
families, purposively selected. This research essentially dependent on primary
data. Primary data will be collected through semi – structured in – depth
interviews with the selected sample. The study identified that women play a
significant role in ensuring household food security in all four dimensions of
food security; they contribute significantly to farming household food
availability, their contribution to income plays an essential role in household
food access, particularly in low-income households, and their nutritional
knowledge is also important in the proper utilization of food in households.
Accordingly, these findings suggest that women's contributions to food
security are essential, and that policymakers should prioritize women's
empowerment and education with the objective to improve food security.
