Around the world, women and girls are most at risk of becoming malnourished.
And women and girls often eat last and least in countries facing hunger. Across the world, women are also more vulnerable to malnutrition.
Women need about 25% less energy per day than men, but the same amount of nutrients. This means their diet needs include more nutrient-rich foods.
But the healthy food women and girls need to thrive is often unaffordable. Across the world, nutritious foods like fruit, vegetables and protein cost the most.
When pregnant and breastfeeding, women need to consume foods even richer in nutrients to maintain their energy and nutrition levels. Lack of access to a healthy diet puts pregnant women at greater risk of complications during pregnancy and birth.
Many infant and young child deaths are the result of poor nutritional health. Teenage mothers and their babies are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition.
In many school across Tanzania, poor sanitation forces girls to miss school. But things are changing. In Susana and Lulu's school, we've built new toilets, giving girls a safe, hygienic environment to learn in.
The day-to-day working life of a woman can be both physically and mentally demanding, making causes of malnutrition very complex. They often fuel a lively discussion among experts and in communities themselves.
Link NCA is a collaborative research project that identifies the causes of undernutrition. Link NCA studies gather and record stories, building a compelling picture of women’s experiences around the world. Their stories show how the pressures placed on women impact their children’s health.
In Haiti, maternal stress has been identified as a key cause of undernutrition. Women who are the head of the household and pregnant women felt the most stress.
“We would like to spend more time with our children. We are forced to leave the house and look for labour , especially if our spouses accuse us of draining their pockets.”
In Bangladesh, stunted growth has been linked to the heavy workload of women living in Rohingya refugee settlements, while women’s low levels of decision making is a major factor in undernutrition among children in Uganda.
Across the world, women are leading the fight against hunger. Discover the stories of the women overcoming food insecurity and creating a better future for themselves and their communities.
Across conflict zones, women are leading their families, rebuilding lives and finding ways to survive the most challenging circumstances. Read the stories of resilient women in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and oPt.
Floods and droughts in Bangladesh are destroying crops, displacing families and making food harder to come by. Read how women in Bangladesh are adapting to the changing climate and feeding their families and communities.
Women in Kenya are fighting life-threatening hunger through knowledge and support. With the right resources, they're learning how to prevent hunger and keep themselves and their family healthy.
Women are taking action against hunger every day. Stay inspired with real stories of impact, updates on our work, and how we can make a difference together.
Learn what malnutrition is, how it affects people around the world, and what we can do to fight it.
Discover how climate change is one of the biggest threats to global food insecurity,
Learn how hunger impacts mental health and is severely affecting mothers who already face food insecurity.
