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Direct Link to Full 56-Page
2009 Global Hunger Index Report:
The Challenge of Hunger - Focus on
Financial Crisis & Gender Inequality
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International Museum of Women -
Economica - Women & the Global Economy
WHAT DOES GENDER HAVE TO DO WITH HUNGER?
© Michael Rubinstein/IFPRI - Mothers who have been educated about health and nutrition are not only healthier themselves, but raise children who are physically and cogitatively healthier--directly impacting the future economy of a country.
© Michael Rubinstein/IFPRI -
Investing in girls' education decreases hunger and maternal mortality and
increases economic health of their families, their communities and their
countries.
On
October 14th, 2009, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
released its fourth annual Global Hunger Index in support of World Food Day.
The Global Hunger Index calculates global hunger by tracking the state of
hunger in 121 countries. Not surprisingly, countries with the highest hunger
index numbers are those areas, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, that have suffered
violent conflict, giving way to widespread poverty and food insecurity. IFPRI
also uses past reports to track trends and identify policy changes, national
and regional programs and environmental shifts that are affecting global
hunger.
This year's report, "The Challenge of Hunger 2009," looks at global hunger through two specific lenses: the current financial crisis and gender. According to IFPRI, countries with already high rates of hunger were hardest hit by the economic crisis, which pushed hunger rates even higher. Because developing countries are now closely integrated with world markets through trade and investments , they are much more vulnerable to global fluctuations.
According to IFPRI, three factors
have the largest effect on the budget of developing countries : decreased world
trade and changes to trade terms, falling foreign direct and indirect
investment and drops in remittances (money sent to home countries by those who
have migrated abroad for work). Each of these, however, impact individual
countries and regions differently and to varying degrees. Declining terms of
trade for example, hurt countries that rely heavily on exports, while lower
remittances will affect Latin American countries more severely. IFPRI points
out that second-round effects of the financial crisis--such as downturns in
non-agricultural sectors of the economy and drops in government revenues--are
further magnifying the impact on the poor and increasing hunger.
IFPRI also found indisputable
links between high rates of hunger and gender inequity. This year's Global
Hunger Index includes a Gender Gap Index, which looks at four dimensions of
well-being: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment,
health and survival, and political empowerment. Together, the Global Hunger
Index and Gender Gap Index demonstrate that addressing gender inequalities is
crucial to reducing hunger. One IFPRI study explored the relationship between
women's status--their power relative to men in their households and
communities--and children's nutrition in a total of 39 countries in three
developing regions: South Asia, Sub-saharan Africa, and Latin America and the
IFPRI estimates that because of
the recession, decreases in global investments such as agriculture will push as
many as 16 million more children into malnutrition by 2020. Because
malnutrition affects children's physical and cognitive development and has
implications for their adult earning potential , the crisis will have
long-lasting negative implications for people's economic prospects long after
the food prices drop and the recession is resolved.
In most of the developing world,
women have fewer resources and face more barriers to economic participation
than men. IFRPI research found that reducing gender disparities in key
areas--such as health and education--is essential to reducing hunger. One study
showed that female education has a much larger impact on poverty than other
factors, including male education. Reducing barriers to market access for
women, increasing women's control over productive assets and adopting policies
that improve income-earning abilities and opportunities for women in developing
countries (such as the reformation of property rights) have an enormous impact
on hunger for women and men alike.
By linking gender disparities to
the goal of creating effective strategies and policies for improvement, IFPRI
is building the case that helping women not only pulls a country out of poverty
and hunger, but also helps secure a better life for future generations.
IFPRI looks closely at countries
on both the positive and negative ends of the spectrum, pointing to policies
and practices that have succeeded over time as well as those that are failing
with dire consequences. For example, Sri Lanka stands out among South Asian
countries as having low Hunger and Gender Gap Index numbers relative to the
region's very poor overall numbers. Possible explanations for
In releasing the Global Hunger
Index each year, IFPRI aims to provide policy solutions that reduce poverty and
end hunger and malnutrition. Reducing global gender inequality is fundamental
to this mission, particularly in these economically challenging times. The 2009
Global Hunger Index shows us who is being hit hardest by the economic crisis
and the correlation with gender inequality. But IFPRI's report also shows us
several clear avenues to reducing hunger: improving women's educational
attainment, economic participation, health issues and political empowerment.
The report highlights many successful interventions that have already been
initiated and are leading to success.
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