Women’s off-farm employment and dietary quality in rural Africa

Chrispinus Mutsami, Martin C. Parlasca and Matin Qaim

No 355423, Discussion Papers from University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF)

Abstract: Most households in rural Africa are involved in smallholder farming, but off-farm employment is an important additional income source for many. Previous research has analyzed links between off-farm employment and wellbeing, but mostly at the household level, not considering that household members may be affected differently. In particular, gender gaps in employment, nutrition, and other wellbeing dimensions are widely observed. Here, we use survey data collected in Tanzania and Zambia to examine how women’s off-farm employment influences their individual-level dietary quality. Regression estimates with instrumental variables show that women’s off-farm employment improves their dietary diversity, including more frequent consumption of nutritious foods such as meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables. We also explore potential mechanisms, including changes in household income, women’s agency, and time allocation. The main results hold across various robustness checks, suggesting that improving women’s access to off-farm employment can help increase household income and reduce widespread gender gaps in rural Africa.

Keywords: Community/Rural/Urban Development; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50
Date: 2025-03-24
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ubzefd:355423

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.355423

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