THE ROLE OF FEMALES IN THE PROVISION OF DOMESTIC FOOD SECURITY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES: (A COMPARATIVE RESEARCH OF RURAL ZONES OF PROVINCE PUNJAB, PAKISTAN)

Abstract

This research was conducted during the year 2019 at Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan . Domestic food insecurity is a major challenge in many underdeveloped nations which has been prioritized in their domestic economic policies. In rural areas, females are accountable for food cultivation, food making, storage, and household resource management but their critical roles as food producers and food providers have not been entirely acknowledged. So, this study investigates the roles of rural females in the provision of domestic food security. In the present research, cross-sectional research was conducted and data was collected from three districts of Punjab, Pakistan through a structured interview schedule from 420 rural households through a simple random sampling method. Outcomes stated that North Punjab (Chakwal) had a high 60.7% food-security position; (Faisalabad) Central Punjab had a medium 52.2% food-security status while South Punjab (Vehari) had a low 40.0% food-security status. The outcomes revealed that in food production, 67% of women participated as labor force, in food access 23% of women participated in income-generating activities and 57.4% of females were engaged in buying food, in food utilization 77% of females contributed in processing, making and distributing of food for members of the family. Overall in Punjab, only 15.2% of females have a great extent of awareness about healthy food.Regionally, South Punjab has low 7.9%, Central Punjab has medium 16.4% and North Punjab has high 21.4% knowledge and awareness about nutritious food. Binary logistic regression presented a positive effect between female education, women’s revenue, females’ decision-making authority, females’ knowledge and control over capital in guaranteeing domestic food security whereas female’s age and family size had an adverse outcome with family food-security status. The study recommended that it is essential to enhance females’ income-generating opportunities through the provision of education, training, and provide equal access to resources for sustainable household food security.