Women, girls hardest hit by food insecurity, malnutrition: Experts

Women and girls face the brunt of food insecurity and malnutrition, primarily due to unequal food distribution, climate change, entrenched social norms, and limited access to education and training, according to experts.

The views came up during the launch of the Global Hunger Index 2024 at a city hotel today (11 December).

"Women and girls are typically hardest hit by food insecurity and malnutrition. They also suffer disproportionately from the effects of extreme weather and climate-induced natural disasters," said Manish Kumar Agrawal, country director of Concern Worldwide, at the event.

He said reforms are needed to incorporate gender justice at all scales and levels, ranging from individuals to entire systems, and from formal mechanisms to informal social and cultural norms.

"We call for increasing investment in promoting gender, climate, and food justice so that all people are assured the right to adequate healthy foods," he added. 

Talking on the issue, Saila Sobnom Richi, a youth climate activist and member of YouthNet, shared a personal observation of food distribution inequality. 

She said women and girls in the family may eat less nutritious food. "While talking to a poor family, I saw that four pieces of fish had been cooked. Then I asked the woman, how will she divide these four pieces of fish among everyone? The woman said one piece will be eaten by her husband, two pieces by her two sons, and if one was left, my daughters and I will eat it." 

"This picture is real. Women and girls suffer the most from malnutrition in the family," Saila added.

She called for greater inclusion of youth in solving these systemic issues.

Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, who attended the event as the chief guest, underscored the value of women's traditional knowledge in ensuring food security.

"Village women understand which foods are nutritious and ensure children receive them. We must prioritise and value this wisdom," she said.

She also stressed the need for food self-sufficiency and safety. "Relying on imported food cannot solve hunger. We need to produce our own food while ensuring its safety, as unsafe food leads to illness. Hunger-free living is meaningless without food safety."

The event, themed "Towards Zero Hunger: Challenges and Way Forward," was organised jointly by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

Meanwhile, the Global Hunger Index 2024 revealed alarming statistics for Bangladesh. According to the index, 11.9% of the Bangladeshi population is undernourished, 23.6% of children under five are stunted, 11.0% are wasted, and 2.9% die before their fifth birthday.    

This year's GHI placed Bangladesh in the "moderate hunger" category with a score of 19.4, ranking 84th among 127 countries. 

While this is a significant improvement from a score of 33.8 in 2000, experts noted that progress is not fast enough to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).

"Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in reducing hunger," said Pankaj Kumar, country director of Welthungerhilfe Bangladesh. 

"However, nearly 12% of the population remains undernourished, and over 23% of children are stunted. To break the cycle of hunger, we need community-driven solutions, inclusive policies, and climate resilience. We must empower youth and marginalized groups to design and govern food systems, ensuring no one is left behind."

Dr Michal Krejza, head of development cooperation at the EU Delegation to Bangladesh, attended as the guest of honour. 

Masudul Hasan, secretary of the Ministry of Food; Mohammad Khaled Hasan, additional secretary, Cabinet Division; Keya Khan, director general of the Department of Women Affairs; and Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, director general of the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council, were also present as special guests.