GENDER DIMENSION ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITY AND COPING STRATEGIES IN ETHIOPIA SOMALI REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

Ethiopia’s Somali Region is vulnerable to food insecurity that happens quite often. The objective of this report was to review the gender dimension of food insecurity and coping strategies in Somali regional State. The paper was mainly prepared by reviewing literature in related with the study topic. Somali region is one of the major food insecure areas whereby many people (65%) are feeding themselves based on the aid obtained from vario organizations The main causes of food insecurity are high population growth rate, change on climate , inefficient agricultural extension delivery services and low and erratic rainfall, Evidences showed that households use different means to cope food crisis. They sale their assets, look for part time work, turn to their social network, venture into income generating activities, engage in food for work activities and others get food relief from NGOs and the government. Other coping mechanisms include reducing number and size of meals, and borrowing of cash and/or food from better-off neighbors and/or relatives. Though there are common food insecurity coping strategies applied by men and women, there are specific activities performed by men and women to cope up with food insecurity. from these Labor migration, movement of livestock, change of composition of diet are some of the major food insecurity coping strategies done by women’s. Women migrate and search for work, carry household goods during livestock movement and they are more responsible in aspects related to change of diet of the household. It is recommended that training and providing support for the communities to practice crop production activities to supplement livestock production, developing rural infrastructures and provision of agricultural services timely, gender equality and its implementation and fight against climate change are some of the activities to prevent /fight food insecurity. Most importantly, food and nutrition insecurity is a gender justice issue. Low status and lack of access to resources mean that women and girls are the most disadvantaged by the inequitable global economic processes that govern food systems and by global trends such as climate change. Evidence shows strong correlations between gender inequality and food and nutrition insecurity Thousands of women and girls still lack food and nutrition security as a direct result of their lower status compared with men and boys. Such inequalities are compounded by women and girls’ often limited access to productive resources, education and decision-making, by the ‘normalised’ burden of unpaid work – including care work – and by the endemic problems of gender-based violence.