A Study on The Impact of Women’s Empowerment on Food Security: Based on The Perspective of Agricultural Production Diversity

Abstract

This study analyzed the role of women's empowerment in diversifying households' diets through their production. Based on the survey data of 1185 rural households of Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces in 2021, this paper measured women's empowerment level from five dimensions: agricultural production, credit resources, income control, leadership, and time allocation. It targeted food safety and further analyzed the role of agricultural production diversity in the pathway of women's empowerment impact on households' food security. The estimation showed that improving women's empowerment enhances diet quality and increases agricultural production diversity. Meanwhile, agricultural production diversity was conducive to improving the food security level of households. After carrying out the mediation effect test, the paper found that agricultural diversity partially mediates the effect of women's empowerment on food security and a total mediation effect on women's empowerment and food security in the poor group. Furthermore, agricultural diversity could further promote households' food and nutrition security based on women's decision-making ability