Does Women’s Political Empowerment Influence Child Undernourishment in Developing Countries?

Martine Tania Azoa Balengla (), Joseph Keneck-Massil () and Itchoko Motande Mondjeli Mwa Ndjokou ()
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Martine Tania Azoa Balengla: University of Yaoundé II
Joseph Keneck-Massil: University of Yaoundé II
Itchoko Motande Mondjeli Mwa Ndjokou: University of Maroua

Comparative Economic Studies, 2025, vol. 67, issue 2, No 4, 355-395

Abstract: Abstract This article analyses the effect of women's political empowerment on child undernourishment for a sample of 87 developing countries over the period 2001–2021. We provide evidence through various empirical approaches that women's political empowerment reduces undernourishment. Examination of transmission channels indicates that women's political empowerment improves nutrition through its effects on public health spending, public education spending and governance. This result remains robust when we: (i) decompose the women's political empowerment index; (ii) control for income level, natural resource dependency, civil and political liberties, and religious predominance; and (iii) control for endogeneity using methods with external instrumental variables, namely two-stage least squares (2SLS) and Lewbel's ordinary least squares method. This article contributes to the literature by demonstrating the fundamental role of women’s political empowerment in achieving sustainable development goals, in particular improving the food and nutritional status of children.

Keywords: Women's political empowerment (WPE); Child undernourishment; Developing countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41294-024-00245-x

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