Nutritional needs for women

According to multiple studies, adolescence is a nutritionally demanding phase for both boys and girls. However, girls face greater physiological demands compared to boys and, therefore, require higher intake of macro and micronutrients.

Despite their daily contributions to supporting their families, women are often excluded from political and family-related decisions. Their opinions are rarely considered, and their rights remain limited, reflecting persistent discrimination.

While society does acknowledge many women’s rights, such as political participation, family allowances, and the right to start a business, in rural areas, poverty and a lack of information pose significant barriers to women’s independence and empowerment.

Various Issues Related to Women

• Female Infanticide and Foeticide:
  India has one of the highest rates of female foeticide globally, driven by strong son preference, the dowry system, and the patrilineal need for male heirs. The 2011 census recorded the lowest sex ratio ever, with only 914 girls per 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group, reflecting 3 million missing girls—down from 78.8 million in 2001 to 75.8 million in 2011.
• Child Marriage:
  India is home to the largest number of child brides, with at least 1.5 million girls under 18 getting married each year, accounting for one-third of the global total. Currently, 16% of adolescent girls aged 15-19 are married. While there has been a slight decline in child marriage—from 27% in 2015-16 to 23% in 2019-20 according to NFHS 5—the progress remains slow.
• Education:
  Girls are often encouraged to focus on household chores and are more likely to drop out of school early. A study by the International Centre for Research on Women found that girls who drop out are 3.4 times more likely to be married or have their marriage arranged than girls who stay in school.
• Health and Mortality:
  Discrimination against girls exists both at home and in their communities, resulting in unequal opportunities. In India, under-five mortality for girls remains 8.3% higher than for boys, while globally, it is typically higher for boys by 14%.
• Malnutrition:
  Both boys and girls are almost equally prone to malnutrition. However, girls often receive lower-quality and smaller quantities of food. This situation worsens due to early and multiple pregnancies. In patriarchal families, boys are given more nutritious food since they are seen as future breadwinners, especially in poorer households. The poor nutritional status of women during their reproductive years also contributes to undernourishment in children.
• Domestic Violence:
  Violence against women remains a significant barrier to achieving gender equality, development, peace, and the realization of women’s and girls’ human rights.
• Household Inequality:
  Gender bias persists within household relations, especially in India, through the division of labor, such as housework, childcare, and menial tasks, where women often bear a disproportionate burden.

Current Situation of Women’s Health

• Increase in Anaemia Risk:
  According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-20), anaemia among adolescent girls increased by 5% compared to NFHS-4.
• Pre-Pandemic Situation:
  The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2019 revealed that even before the pandemic, adolescents’ consumption of diverse food groups was low.
• Impact of Covid-19:
  The Covid-19 pandemic further worsened dietary diversity, particularly for women, adolescents, and children. A study by the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition found that women’s dietary diversity in India dropped by 42% during the lockdowns, with a significant decrease in the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and eggs.
• Decline in Nutrition Services:
  Lockdowns led to the discontinuation of mid-day meals and disruptions in Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) and nutrition education for adolescent girls in schools. Out-of-school adolescent girls faced additional challenges in accessing nutrition services, increasing their vulnerability to poor nutrition outcomes.
• Importance of Dietary Diversity:
  Adolescence is a crucial period for establishing dietary diversity to correct nutritional deficiencies and replenish the body with essential nutrients, especially for girls.
• Micronutrient Deficiencies:
  Currently, 80% of adolescents experience “hidden hunger” due to micronutrient deficiencies, a trend more common among girls who already face multiple nutritional challenges. Strengthening efforts to address deficiencies in not only iron and folic acid but also vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc is crucial.

Some data from NHFS-5

• Decline in Underage Marriages:
  The national average of underage marriages has decreased. According to NFHS-5, 23.3% of women were married before the legal age of 18, down from 26.8% in NFHS-4. Among men, 17.7% were married underage in NFHS-5, compared to 20.3% in NFHS-4.
• States with Increases:
  Despite the overall decline, Punjab, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, and Assam have seen a rise in underage marriages. Tripura experienced the largest increase, with women’s underage marriages rising from 33.1% (NFHS-4) to 40.1%, and men’s from 16.2% to 20.4%.
• Highest Rates of Underage Marriages:
  West Bengal and Bihar continue to have some of the highest rates of underage marriages.
• Lowest Rates of Underage Marriages:
  States and regions with the lowest rates include Jammu & Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Nagaland, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.
• Decrease in Teenage Pregnancies:
  Teenage pregnancies have decreased from 7.9% to 6.8%.
• Reduction in Domestic Violence Against Women:
  Domestic violence has declined slightly from 31.2% in 2015-16 to 29.3% in 2019-21. Karnataka has the highest rate at 48%, followed by Bihar, Telangana, Manipur, and Tamil Nadu.
• Improvement in Women’s Empowerment:
  Women’s empowerment indicators show significant progress. The percentage of women operating bank accounts increased from 53% in NFHS-4 to 79% in NFHS-5 at the national level. In every state and UT surveyed in phase-II, over 70% of women have operational bank accounts.
• Increase in Anaemia Rates:
  Anaemia has worsened, with the incidence rising from 53.1% to 57% among women and from 22.7% to 25% among men across all states. Kerala is the only state with an anaemia rate under 40%, placing most states in the “severe” category.

What should be done?

• Integrated Efforts for Improved Health Services:
  The NFHS findings highlight the urgent need to bridge the gaps in girls’ education and improve women’s health. This requires integrated, coordinated efforts from health institutions, academia, and other partners connected to healthcare services. It is crucial to make these services accessible, affordable, and acceptable, particularly for those with limited financial means.
• Promoting Technology-Based Services for Women:
  In the coming years, the combination of mobile technology, banking, education, and women’s economic empowerment will be key to addressing discriminatory norms. Although more women are using mobile phones, the internet, and banking services, the gap with men remains significant. Efforts should focus on promoting and teaching these skills to women, as their ability to access and use these resources is a vital indicator of empowerment.
• Collaborative Solutions to Address Women’s Issues:
  Crime against women cannot be resolved solely through legal channels. A comprehensive approach is needed to reform the entire ecosystem. This requires coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, including lawmakers, police, forensic departments, prosecutors, the judiciary, medical and health sectors, NGOs, and rehabilitation centers.
• Addressing Discriminatory Social Norms:
  To empower women and achieve gender justice, harmful practices like child marriage and gender-biased sex selection must be addressed. Elevating the value of women and girls involves transforming unequal power dynamics, structural inequalities, and discriminatory norms. Engaging men and boys, especially during their formative years, is essential to promoting positive masculinity and gender equality.
• Inclusion of Diverse Diets and Nutrition Counselling:
  In addition to continuing the Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) program, health and nutrition policies should emphasize compliance with diverse diets and physical activity. This includes locally sourced fruits and vegetables, seasonal diets, and millets. Nutrition counselling for adolescent girls should be enhanced through community health workers, school-based programs, virtual counselling, and community events like Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Days.
• Improving Policy Interventions:
  Women-centric policymaking should view women as active contributors to society, not just passive beneficiaries. Reformative measures, such as the recent amendment to raise the legal marriage age for women from 18 to 21, reflect this shift. An integrated approach is necessary to ensure that policies empower women and recognize their potential in contributing to societal progress.

In addition to implementing policies and interventions, it is essential to ensure that girls stay in school or formal education, their safety is protected, and their health and nutrition needs are prioritized. These efforts are necessary to create real opportunities for girls to enhance their health and nutritional well-being.

The End of the Blog: Nutritional needs for women