Intra-Household Gender Relations And Household Food Security In Tanzania: A Case Of Chamwino District, Dodoma Region

ABSTRACT

The overall objective of the study was to assess the effect of intra-household gender relations on household’s food security in Chamwino District, Dodoma region. Data were collected from 120 respondents using interview schedule. Checklist was used to collect data from Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with men and women and from interview with key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and qualitative data were summarized and analyzed manually using content analysis. The findings show that food security is perceived as having enough food to meet family requirements until the next harvesting season.The study shows men sell and control the income from the sales of agricultural products and off-farm activities. They use the income on non food items such as alcohol, clothes, getting another wife as this affects household food security. The study identified that, some of the decisions made by household to ensure food security were use of recommended farming practices, growing both cash and food crops and good storage of harvested produce. The study shows that there is household gender based decision which influences on household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions about income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned on household food requirements. Based on the research results, it is concluded that: food security is determined by the quantity of sorghum or millet or maize available in the household storage structure(s). Men’s control over resources such as cash income has negative influence on household food security. Women’s non involvement in decision making on insuring food management imparts negatively household’s food security. It is recommended that there is a need to address gender inequalities with regard to ownership and control over resources at household level which imparts on household food security.