The role of gender in ensuring
improved Nutrition: a Case of
Dairy Goat Project in Kongwa
and Mvomero Districts, Tanzania
D. B. Mosha & J. G. Joyce Lyimo-Macha
Introduction
• Malnutrition is a prevalent challenge in DCs
• In Tanzania, about 50% of population live in abject
poverty with a poor nutritional status.
• In Africa, TZ rank as third worst country with high rate of
malnutrition.
• The prevalence rate of malnutrition of children under 5
years is still a big problem, with the highest rate in
Dodoma and Morogoro regions
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Introduction cont…..
• Women in the two districts do most of HHD and
farm works (keeping small ruminants, growing crops, and
HHD chores)
• They are overworked
• Based on these challenges an engendered
integrated model of dairy goats and root crop
production was introduced (CGP Tanzania project)
• With a gender component
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Project implementation approaches
• Baseline survey – MFFDs and WGDs was carried out
• Development of gender strategy,
• Gender analysis (roles, access, control and decision
making)
• Gender trainings (men and women, & girls and
boys
• Training on nutritional education
• However, little information on associations
between gender roles and improved nutrition.
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Objective of the Study
• To assess gender roles and child nutritional
status among project beneficiaries.
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Methodology
• The study was conducted in four villages (two per
districts)
• 53 HHDs and 57 children were involved,
• Data collection tools:
– A structured questionnaire which also comprises
Harvard analytical framework questions was used ,
– Key informants interviews,
– Anthropometric measurements to assess the NS
• Secondary data – from publications and reports
• Data were analysed using SPSS
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Key findings
• 126 farmers (64F) were trained on gender issues,
• 134 (70F) trained on nutritional education
• 41% of the owners of dairy goats are women
• Findings from Key informants evident that women
ownership of dairy goats is an effect of CGP TZ
project interventions
• Indicated by 66% women and 34% of men
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Key findings (cont…)
• Productive works are shared, with exception of
milking, which is most done by women (78%) in
both MHH & FHH,
• Sharing of farm activities, give women more time
in child caring, preparation of food and feeding.
• Women have more access to production
resources, moreover less control of these
resources.
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Key findings (cont…)
• Increase in women participation in decision making
at the HHD level.
• In male HDs, where males made the final decisions
14.5% of children were severely stunted and 17.6%
were moderately stunted.
• Decision making made by males is statistically
significant with stunted growth in Kongwa district,
but not Mvomero district.
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Key findings (cont…)
• Cultural norms, food taboos, and practices affect
child nutritional status as men are favoured and
are given good portion of the food.
• Prevalence of polygamy, cohabite and divorce
was high interfere nutritional status of children:
• DC in polygamy is done by male,
• Cohabite FHH affected by overloaded roles and
responsibilities
• The divorce women are denied on their rights to access
production resources
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Key Messages
• Women now owned dairy goats
• There is availability of goat’s milk in the communities
• Women are the one make decision on the use of goat milk
and expenditure of income from sell of milk- This increase
women autonomy ready to improve and diversified dietary intake at HHD
level,
• The greater the extend of women’s influence over the
allocation of milk and food form the better the child’s
dietary intake and nutritional status
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Conclusion
 Engendered interventions empower women
in agro- pastoral societies
 Availability and consumption of goat’s milk
 Supporting women to acquire at least two
dairy goats is expected to improve
availability of milk for young children
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Acknowledgements
The project acknowledges financial support from IDRC
and commitment from farmers, district and research
partners
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Thank You!
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