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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2024, Vol. 23 Issue (2): 457-467    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.005
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Women’s empowerment and food consumption: Evidence from female-headed households in Tanzania

Mosses Lufuke1, 2, Xu Tian1, 3, 4#

1 College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China

2 Department of Economics, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma 41218, Tanzania

3 College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China

4 Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China 

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摘要  尽管越来越多的人认识到女性在家庭中的作用,并且在撒哈拉以南非洲开展了相应的赋权计划,但鲜有研究深入探讨女性赋权家庭与食物消费之间的关系。本文使用坦桑尼亚最近 (2017/18) 的全国家庭调查数据,考察了女性赋权对家庭食物消费的影响。 我们首先使用描述性统计和倾向得分匹配法比较了女性户主家庭和男性户主家庭在八种食物类别中的差异。 此外,我们采用两阶段LES-AIDS模型来估计两类家庭的收入和价格弹性。 结果显示,女性户主家庭比男性户主家庭消费更多的面包和谷物、鱼、油和脂肪、蔬菜和糖、果酱、蜂蜜、巧克力和糖果。 此外,与男性户主家庭相比,女性户主家庭对所有食品类别的需求收入弹性明显更高,在肉类、鱼类、油脂和糖、果酱、蜂蜜、巧克力和糖果方面的价格弹性也高于男性户主家庭。

Abstract  

Despite the growing recognition of women’s increasing role in the household and corresponding empowerment programs in sub-Saharan Africa, intensive research on the relationship between women’s influence and household food consumption is minimal.  Using the most recent (2017–2018) national household survey data from Tanzania, this study examined the influence of women’s empowerment on household food consumption.  First, we compared the monthly consumption of eight food categories between female-headed households (FHHs) and male-headed households (MHHs) using both descriptive statistics and the propensity score matching (PSM) method.  Furthermore, we adopted the two-stage Linear Expenditure System and Almost Ideal Demand System model (LES-AIDS) to estimate income and price elasticities for the two household types.  The results show that FHHs consume bread and cereals, fish, oils and fats, vegetables, and confectionery (sugar, jam, honey, chocolate, etc.) more than MHHs.  Moreover, FHHs have a significantly higher income elasticity of demand for all food groups than MHHs.  They are also more price elastic than MHHs in meat, fish, oils, fats, sugar, jam, honey, chocolate, etc.

Keywords:  women’s empowerment        food consumption        income elasticity        price elasticity   
Received: 20 February 2023   Accepted: 13 November 2023
Fund: This study was supported by the Chinese University Scientific Fund (2023TC105) and the National Nature Science Foundation of China (72361147521 & 72061147002).
About author:  #Correspondence Xu Tian, E-mail: tianxu@cau.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

Mosses Lufuke, Xu Tian. 2024.

Women’s empowerment and food consumption: Evidence from female-headed households in Tanzania . Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 23(2): 457-467.

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