Gendered Time, Seasonality and Nutrition: Insights from two Indian districts

There has been considerable attention to women’s work in nutritional studies, given women’s central role in child-bearing, child-care and child-rearing. Similarly, employment data indicates women’s high work-participation in agriculture – a phenomenon commonly known as the feminisation of agriculture, albeit as labourers and unpaid family workers, rather than independent cultivators. It is therefore surprising that there are relatively few studies that make the link between women’s work in agriculture, their household and care responsibilities, and nutritional outcomes. LANSA research in India was undertaken in 12 villages in two districts – Koraput (Odisha) and Wardha (Maharashtra) as part of the Farming System for Nutrition feasibility study. Apart from baseline anthropometric and diet surveys with 150 households in each district, detailed time use surveys and qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 households in each location.