The face of food insecurity is female : a post-colonial feminist argument for rural women

Abstract

The achievement of food security is a global priority, but remains a particular challenge for rural women. International frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to ensure zero hunger, improved nutrition and the promotion of sustainable agriculture. Yet, while the SDGs have significantly broadened the scope of targets focused on achieving gender equity and women’s empowerment, as well as recognising that gender equality has a social, economic and political dimension, they remain silent on how substantive gender justice would be achieved. Using a post-colonial feminist perspective, the paper argues that the political, economic and social dimensions, specifically regarding food security, are interconnected and rooted in power inequality and patriarchy. The paper uses a qualitative content analysis to determine the extent to which policy frameworks developed in support of rural women in South Africa are gendered to reflect the experienced realities of women in rural, culturally traditional communities.