Research On The Impact Of Women’s Empowerment On Household Food Security Under The Background Of Male Labor Migration

Food security is important to the country’s economy and people’s lives,and is the fundamental component of national security.Despite the great achievements in ensuring food security by being self-sufficient in food supply,China still faces challenges of the coexistence of multiple forms of malnutrition and increasing incidence of diet-related diseases.In particular,malnutrition problem frequently occurs in less developed rural areas.For those who have been lift out of poverty,malnutrition can pose a threat to their health,thus increasing their costs to maintain health,and limiting their ability to earn income.In this case,their risk of returning to poverty due to malnutrition and disease may increase,which is not conducive to consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation.Therefore,how to improve the food security of residents in less developed rural areas has gained significance from both the policymakers and scholars.At the same time,under the background of continuous transfer of rural surplus labour force,left behind women have become the main participants in rural production and family care.Women may have a significant impact on household food security,due to their important role in household agricultural production and food management.However,women and their empowerment(including women’s empowerment within household and community participation)have been rarely mentioned in relevant studies on determinants of household food security.Using a panel data from tracking surveys of 4380 rural households in less developed areas--Guizhou,Yunnan,Shaanxi and Gansu provinces of China in 2015,2018 and 2021,this research analyses the impact of women’s empowerment on household food security under the background of male labor migration.Firstly,this research constructs a measurement system to evaluate food security of rural households.Secondly,this research builds an analytical framework on the impact of women’s empowerment on household food security under the background of male labor migration.Thirdly,this research empirically examines the effects of male labour migration and women’s empowerment within household on farmer households’ protein intake,and the impacts of women’s community participation and women’s empowerment within household on household dietary diversity.Lastly,based on the research conclusions,it put forwards policy suggestions on women’s empowerment and household food security.Our results show that:(1)most households in less developed rural areas in western China have achieved food security in 2021,and the food security is witnessing positive changes from 2015 to 2021 in spite of the epidemic shock.However,there are still some problems to be solved in the diets of rural households.For instance,some rural households do not have sufficient dietary intake of protein or vitamin C.There are still a few rural households assessed having poor or just borderline food consumption.Insufficient fat intake coexists with excessive fat intake within diets of rural households.(2)Women’s empowerment within household can improve households’ protein intake against a background of male labour migration.Both male labour migration and women’s empowerment within household increase households’ protein intake.Meanwhile,male labour migration can promote women’s empowerment.After carrying out mediation effect test,the study finds that women’s empowerment within household plays a partial mediation role in the effect of male labour migration on households’ protein intake.Furthermore,it finds that women empowerment within household has a total mediation effect on the male labour migration and households’ protein intake in the higher income group.(3)Women’s community participation can not only improve women’s empowerment within household,but the household food security level.Therefore,women’s empowerment within household plays a mediation role in the effect of women’s community participation on household food security.We further explore other underlying channels through which women’s community participation impacts household food security,and identifies that training and social networks appear to be the main channels.Our results suggest that: firstly,governments at all levels should step up efforts like providing free employment and training services to promote growth in employment and incomes of farmers,and thus food security of rural households.Secondly,more attention should be paid to the living conditions of women left behind in the rural areas,and the social value of the family care work undertaken by them should be assessed and emphasized.Thirdly,women left behind in rural areas should be encouraged to actively participate in village affairs,so that they can gain more voice and influence in the process of community participation,thereby increasing women’s empowerment and food security in rural areas.