The ingredient to turn around nutrition outcomes

Despite ambitious initiatives like POSHAN Abhiyaan, India continues to face persistent nutritional inequality, especially among women and girls. Recent analysis of the free foodgrain programme and NFHS-5 data reveals worsening anaemia rates and undernourishment, indicating gendered structural failures in India's nutrition framework.

Persisting Gendered Malnutrition Despite Schemes

• Anaemia and Underweight Prevalence: As per NFHS-5, 57% of women (15–49 yrs) are anaemic (vs 26% of men), and nearly 1 in 5 women are underweight, despite POSHAN 2.0 investments.
• Underutilisation of Funds: In 2022–23, the Ministry for Women and Child Development was allocated Rs. 24,000 crore for POSHAN 2.0 and Saksham Anganwadi, but only 69% was utilised by December 2022.
• Social Justice Dimension: Nutritional deprivation stems from entrenched gender norms — in poor households, women often eat least and last, reflecting deep-rooted socio-cultural inequities.

Empowerment as a Missing Nutritional Determinant

• Economic Dependence and Nutrition: 49% of women lack control over their own earnings (NFHS-5), leading to financially-induced nutritional deficits due to lack of autonomy.
• Evidence from Research: Studies, including those by Esther Duflo, confirm that financially empowered women are more likely to invest in nutrition and child welfare.
• Poor Quality Employment: Although female labour force participation rose from 23% (2017–18) to 33% (2021–22), most women are engaged in low-paying, insecure, or informal jobs with minimal empowerment benefits.

The Way Forward: Converging Nutrition and Empowerment

• Beyond Awareness: POSHAN Abhiyaan’s “Jan Andolan” has increased awareness, but awareness alone cannot ensure nutrition without access to resources and autonomy.
• Integration with Livelihood Schemes: POSHAN 2.0 must align with schemes focused on income generation, financial literacy, and skill development to tackle root causes.
• Anganwadi Centres as Hubs: Anganwadi centres should evolve into multi-service hubs, delivering not just nutrition and healthcare but also economic linkages, such as credit, training, and job support.

Practice Question:

Q. Discuss the structural and socio-economic factors contributing to persistent malnutrition among women in India. Evaluate the effectiveness of POSHAN Abhiyaan in addressing these issues and suggest a convergence-based model to ensure nutritional equity.