Worldwide, women carry the greatest burden of malnutrition. More than two-thirds of women of childbearing age don’t get enough of at least one micronutrient. These are the vitamins and minerals, such as iron, that the body needs in small amounts to stay healthy. A shortage is often called “hidden hunger” because a woman can eat enough to feel full yet still not have enough essential nutrients.
Despite decades of intervention, the prevalence of anaemia has worsened among women, rising from 28% to 31% since 2012. Anaemia is an iron deficiency condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. It mainly affects women and children.
The gender gap in food insecurity is widening, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where 80% of women of reproductive age are affected by micronutrient deficiencies.
Why is progress on women’s nutrition stalling?
As a multidisciplinary team of experts in global nutrition, public health and equitable food systems, we conducted a systematic scoping review of 518 studies across 125 low- and middle-income countries. We identified 143 drivers of what a woman can eat. The result is the first evidence-based framework of women’s food environments, the factors that influence the quality of women’s diets.
