IAS/UPSC Coaching Institute  

17 May 2025 : The ingredient to turn around nutrition outcomes

Editorial 2: The ingredient to turn around nutrition outcomes 

Context

Empowering women financially is a powerful method to enhance nutritional outreach in India.

 

Introduction

The review of India’s free foodgrain programme for 800 million people reveals a harsh truth: hunger and malnutritionare still urgent issues. Yet, in India’s long fight against malnutrition, women and girls remain the most neglected group. Despite ongoing economic progress and many welfare schemes, nutritional inequality is still deeply gender-based. Launched in 2018 with the goal of a malnutrition-free India by 2022, the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN) Abhiyaan aims to improve nutrition for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and young children. However, significant disparities remain.

 

Structural failures

Parameter

  

Anaemia Prevalence

57% of women (15-49 years) are anaemic compared to 26% of men.

Underweight Women

Nearly 1 in 5 women are underweight.

Gender Disparity

Women are significantly more likely to be malnourished than men in India.

Structural Issues

Current nutrition approaches show structural failures despite merging schemes into POSHAN 2.0 and heavy investment.

Budget Allocation (2022-23)

Nearly ₹24,000 crore allocated to Ministry of Women and Child Development for Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0.

Fund Utilisation

Only 69% of the allocated funds were utilized by December 2022.

Anaemia Trend

Anaemia among women rose from 53% to 57% between last two NFHS rounds.

Underweight Trend

About 18.7% of women remain underweight.

Resource Impact

High spending alone has not improved women’s nutrition significantly.

Cultural Factors

In many households, women’s nutritional needs are often last priority due to entrenched cultural norms.

Social Justice Issue

Malnutrition is not only about food supply but also about gender-based deprivation and social justice.

Economic Dependence

49% of women lack decision-making power over their earnings, affecting their nutrition.

Consequences of Financial Dependence

Lack of economic independence limits women’s control over diet and health, leading to compromised nutrition.

 

Financial Empowerment and Nutrition

  • Studies show financially empowering women is one of the most effective ways to improve nutrition.
  • Nobel laureate Esther Duflo found women controlling extra income spend more on nutrition and children’s well-being.
  • In a study of low-income communities, women with even modest independent income or control over household spending were less likely to be undernourished.

 

Women’s Economic and Social Empowerment: The Missing Piece

  • Women’s labour force participation rose from about 23% (2017-18) to 33% (2021-22) — a positive shift on paper.
  • Most working women have insecure, low-paying jobs: only 5% hold regular salaried jobs, and nearly 20% are self-employed, mostly in informal sectors.
  • Self-employed women earn 53% less than men in similar work.
  • Many working women earn barely enough to survive; employment has not translated into decision-making poweror investment in their own nutrition.

 

Importance of Job Quality and Security

  • It is not enough to increase women’s workforce participation; the quality and security of jobs matter equally.
  • Without skills training, equal pay, and stable employment, women remain economically vulnerable despite working.

 

Impact on Nutrition Programmes

  • Nutrition schemes like POSHAN will have limited impact if women cannot afford or are not empowered to consume nutritious food.
  • Government praises Poshan Abhiyaan for raising awareness and creating a Jan Andolan (mass movement) around nutrition, but awareness alone cannot fill empty stomachs.

 

Need for convergence

  • POSHAN 2.0 should eliminate undernutrition by also boosting women’s incomes and status.
  • Set measurable targets for reducing anaemia and stunting, plus increasing women’s independent incomes and decision-making power.
  • Break departmental silos by making nutrition, health, and livelihood teams work together in high-malnutrition areas.
  • Use Anganwadi centres and health workers to distribute food and connect women to skill training, credit schemes, and job opportunities.
  • Turn Anganwadis into one-stop hubs for women’s welfare: meals, antenatal care, and financial literacy workshops.

 

Conclusion

Ultimately, a malnutrition-free India will happen only when women are seen not as passive recipients of nutrition programs but as active leaders improving the health and success of their families.