Hidden Hunger in Indian Women: An Evident Gender Disparity

Women’s Day- the day when we celebrate success that women have achieved. On this day, we should also confront the challenges faced by women. Hidden hunger is an important one faced by large number of women in day-to-day life.

Hunger has three broad dimensions- first, inadequate food (energy) intake; second, deficient protein intake and third, deficiency of micro-nutrients also known as hidden hunger. Deficiency of micro-nutrients intake may not be felt as hunger, as quantity of food consumed might be enough. However, insufficiency of micro-nutrients affects individuals’ health and productivity to a great extent. Iron is an essential micro-nutrient and a component of haemoglobin that carries oxygen throughout the body.

Deficiency of haemoglobin in human body is called Anaemia (precisely, iron deficiency Anaemia). Fig 1 shows prevalence of Anaemia among children, women and men in major states of India. The states are arranged in decreasing order of prevalence of Anaemia in children; Chhattisgarh has the highest prevalence of Anaemia (71%) and Manipur has the lowest (23%). Women in West-Bengal and Haryana are the worst affected and face highest prevalence of Anaemia (63%). According to the recently published reports under the National Family Health Survey, the national level prevalence of Anaemia among men is 23 per cent, while for women the prevalence is more than double at 53 per cent. This gender disparity is reiterated by huge difference in state level prevalence between men and women; even in states like Kerala with lower incidence of Anaemia the difference is huge.

Measures like fortification of food and administration of Iron-folic acid tables are one way out for reducing prevalence of Anaemia. Studies have also suggested importance of diversity in diets for reduction in prevalence of Anaemia. Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) is taking up action research— Farming System for Nutrition (FSN) to increase dietary-diversity in few villages of Koraput (South Odisha) and Wardha (Maharashtra) by increasing consumption and production of nutrient dense food (pulses, millet, green leafy vegetables, vegetables and fruits). A study undertaken by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN, Hyderabad) recommends us to eat Vitamin-C rich food along with the regular meals as it increases iron absorption (conversion of iron source in plants to iron required by human body). This restates the importance of diets-diversity.

Multiple approaches like fortification, supplementation, dietary-diversity, hygiene, behavioural changes have to be pursued for reducing prevalence of Anaemia. Most important is regular monitoring/surveys for measuring the prevalence that shows our failure or success towards improving health of individual in India. 

The huge difference in prevalence of Anaemia between men and women is a great cause of concern for gender disparity. In general, Anaemia causes low-productivity, dizziness and weakness. However, Anaemia  in pregnant women also hinders with development of child to be born and results in low birth-weight. Consequently, this may cause a life-long cycle of low productive individuals, hence low income and undernutrition. Therefore, Anaemia in women does not end with women’s well-being but is also a foundation of unequal beginning for many children to be born. Hence this gender disparity is a major challenge face by India.

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