Gender, poverty and food security: Perceptions and implications for urban households in Nigeria

Abstract

Poverty is a state of deprivations that is manifested in multidimensional forms. There are distinctions between men and women, in its prevalence, extent and effects, particularly on food security experienced. The study explores the interaction of gender with poverty and food security among urban households in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, in establishing empirical evidence to aid policies on improving households’ wellbeing and reducing gender-based inequality in food security. Data were collected through a multistage sampling procedure from 400 households across four local government areas of Bayelsa State. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis and binary logistic model with the help of SPSS, version 26.0. Results reveal that incidence of multidimensional poverty was higher among women (67 %) than among men (58 %). Also, structural (societal and economic) issues (x̄, 3.79) were the most perceived factors causing poverty, followed by political (3.75) and behavioural (3.35) factors. It was also observed that women had higher perception values of the causes of poverty than men, implying that women had a higher level of sensitivity to the impacts of perceived causes. Results also showed that increase in a household's multidimensional deprivations decreases their likelihood of being food secured. The study recommends initiating policies that promote access to affordable or free healthcare services, education, adequate electricity, and economic opportunities to aid households’ acquisition of assets for wealth accumulation; also, to mainstream gendered economic empowerment and parity into development programs since women felt more marginalized and more sensitive to poverty effects than their male counterparts.