abstract: 'Background Child malnutrition persists globally with men and women

  playing distinct roles to support children''s nutrition. Women frequently

  carry the bulk of the workload related to food, care, and health, all of

  which are critical factors in child nutrition. For this reason,

  development efforts have emphasised women ignoring the potential role of

  men in supporting children''s nutrition. This study sought to understand

  the different roles that Malawian men and women play in children''s

  nutrition. Methods This qualitative was conducted in rural Central

  Malawi as part of a baseline study in 2017 for the CARE Southern Africa

  Nutrition Initiative. Seventy-six participants were interviewed,

  including 19 men and 57 women, using focus group discussions and

  in-depth interviews. We sought to understand the gender distribution of

  men''s and women''s roles and how these roles influence child nutrition.

  Results We found that both men and women were involved in productive,

  reproductive, and community work. However, consistent with the

  literature, women carried a disproportionate workload in supporting

  child nutrition compared to men. Women''s heavier workloads often

  prevented them from being able to meet children''s food needs.

  Nevertheless, shifts in gender roles were observed in some of the

  sampled communities, with men taking up responsibilities that have been

  typically associated with women. These changes in gender roles, however,

  did not necessarily increase women''s power within the household.

  Conclusions Traditional gender roles remain prevalent in the sampled

  communities. Women continue to be primarily responsible for the food,

  care, and health of the household. Women''s heavy workloads prevent them

  from providing optimal care and nutrition for children. While efforts to

  advance gender equality by encouraging men to participate in child care

  and other household responsibilities appear to have had marginal

  success, the extent to which these efforts have successfully encouraged

  men to share power remains unclear. Improving gender equality and child

  nutrition will require efforts to redistribute gendered work and

  encourage men to move towards shared power with women over household

  decision-making and control over income.'
affiliation: 'Mkandawire, E (Corresponding Author), Univ Pretoria, Old Coll House,
  Pretoria, South Africa.

  Mkandawire, Elizabeth, Univ Pretoria, Old Coll House, Pretoria, South Africa.

  Bisai, Clement; Kantayeni, Hazel; Molosoni, Billy, CARE Malawi, Pamodzi House,Off
  Presidential Dr, Lilongwe, Malawi.

  Dressel, Anne; Kako, Peninnah M.; Gondwe, Kaboni W.; Mkandawire-Valhmu, Lucy, Univ
  Wisconsin, Coll Nursing, Cunningham Hall, Milwaukee, WI 53201 USA.'
article-number: '1392'
author: Mkandawire, Elizabeth and Bisai, Clement and Dyke, Elizabeth and Dressel,
  Anne and Kantayeni, Hazel and Molosoni, Billy and Kako, Peninnah M. and Gondwe,
  Kaboni W. and Mkandawire-Valhmu, Lucy
author-email: elizabeth.mkandawire@up.ac.za
author_list:
- family: Mkandawire
  given: Elizabeth
- family: Bisai
  given: Clement
- family: Dyke
  given: Elizabeth
- family: Dressel
  given: Anne
- family: Kantayeni
  given: Hazel
- family: Molosoni
  given: Billy
- family: Kako
  given: Peninnah M.
- family: Gondwe
  given: Kaboni W.
- family: Mkandawire-Valhmu
  given: Lucy
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13749-x
eissn: 1471-2458
files: []
journal: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH
keywords: 'Child nutrition; Food Security; Inequalities; Care-giving; Low-income

  countries; Focus group'
keywords-plus: 'HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY; MENS INVOLVEMENT; HEALTH; WOMEN; AGRICULTURE;

  EQUALITY; POLICY; CARE'
language: English
month: JUL 20
number: '1'
number-of-cited-references: '45'
orcid-numbers: Gondwe, Kaboni Whitney/0000-0001-7333-0930
papis_id: 227b3cbf65e2a718da470877c170729b
ref: Mkandawire2022qualitativeassessmen
researcherid-numbers: Gondwe, Kaboni Whitney/AGM-5219-2022
times-cited: '1'
title: A qualitative assessment of gender roles in child nutrition in Central Malawi
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000828120300005
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '2'
volume: '22'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
year: '2022'