Planning for food security as impacted by urbanization and gender: A case study of Dar es Salaam

In rural areas of northern Tanzania, capacities of households to cope with food insecurity is decreasing due to increasing vulnerabilities, an example being the increase of droughts as a result from climate change, (Webb, 2010). The diminishing ability of rural households to sustain livelihoods often acts as a push for more vulnerable groups (such as women) to migrate to urban areas. The focus of this paper is to examine this movement in a case study of female rural-urban migration in Tanzania between the northern, rural region of Kilimanjaro and the urban center of Dar es Salaam, and determine if migration is improving the well-being of the women who migrate and the well-being of their households.;Findings from the interviews demonstrate that women are migrating from the Kilimanjaro region to Dar es Salaam primarily in search of greater economic opportunity. Additionally, rural-urban migration has increased food security for women and their households as reflected by the variety and increased access of food they are able to consume in Dar es Salaam. The interview responses also indicated that migration has improved well-being for women and their households as reflected by the response that the majority of women interviewed are choosing to stay in Dar es Salaam and do not plan to return to their community of origin.