The Graça Machel Trust’s Nutrition Programme Manager, Ms. Rachel Toku-Appiah presented on the effects of hunger and nutrition as well as how issues of gender influence the outcome of our continent’s nutritional status. This presentation took place during the second session at the eighth International Policy Conference on the African Child in Addis Ababa on 23 May 2019, themed – Child Hunger: What we know
Below is an overview of her presentation:
The importance of nutrition is critical to human development, its adverse effects on the individual and how it affects national and ultimately the continent’s economic development. The main focus of the Nutrition Programme is to advocate for governments to make nutrition a development priority.
When unpacking the Gender Dimension of Child Hunger, first consider that a woman’s nutritional status (what she ingests, her dietary intake and the state of her health and wellbeing). All this directly impacts the next generation:
- Maternal undernutrition contributes to low birth weight, preterm births, stunting and risk of neonatal death and therefore;
- gender inequality is a cause as well as an effect of hunger and malnutrition.
In order to address the hunger and malnutrition challenges, we need to address these negative gender practices that are put into effect by institutions, the political and development landscape and economic structure. This is why if we are to meet the targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals’ 2030 Agenda and Africa’s Agenda 2063, a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder effort is essential to effectively address hunger and malnutrition.
Key Recommendations
- Build on the local context and promote gender sensitive elements in integrated multisectoral nutrition policies, programmes and actions
- A gender policy containing a set of general principles accepted by all can provide a general framework for projects and programs
- Adopt a lifecycle approach that prioritises adolescents
- Close the gaps on financing, evidence and data
- Support equal rights and access to employment, land and other resources such as right to food, equal access to education and reproductive health and family planning
- Advocate for the equal representation of women and men in decision- making positions
Read more on our Nutrition Programme
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.