Countdown to ANH Academy Week 2017 - Connecting research interests to ongoing debates at ANH
ANH Academy 29 June 2017

Agricultural work in Pakistan is becoming feminised and accounts for more than 70 per cent in the work force. How well is women’s agricultural work recognised by policymakers in the country might still be unclear, but is a key research interest to better understand the linkages between women’s agricultural work and their health outcomes. 

About our study

The Collective for Social Science Research (CSSR) has been involved in a LANSA study on women’s work and nutrition (WWN) since 2015 based on women agricultural workers of the Sindh province of Pakistan. While the main aim is to assess the pathways and disconnects between women’s work in agriculture and its impact on their nutritional status, the study also helps us identify the types of interventions needed to combat undernutrition in women agricultural workers and their children. We are in the final stages - two rounds of surveys and anthropometric measurements have been done on mother-infant dyads of rural areas of the Sindh province, and other studies are expected to emerge from the data collected through the surveys. 

ANH Academy Week and expectations

It does present an excellent opportunity for us researchers to connect with each other, and share our understanding of agri-health linkages prevalent in our countries. In fact, the South Asian ‘paradox’ could be worth exploring in terms of different policies and strategies needed to mitigate the conundrum of undernutrition prevalent in the entire region. I also think that this symposium will be a good opportunity to understand the causes of undernutrition in South Asia. I hope to take away learnings from the various interventions that could lead to pro-nutrition outcomes in communities, where agriculture is the main source of livelihood. 

Researchers from the CSSR and I, will be presenting the WWN survey at different event-sessions hosted by ANH Academy (see programme). We will also be presenting our ‘Research to Action’ pilot - an ambitious innovation to facilitate community-level evidence-based discussion on agriculture-nutrition linkages. Also, the LANSA-hosted policy dialogue on women agricultural workers and nutrition in South Asia will provide a rare opportunity for researchers and policymakers from across the region to come together on a key issue that impact on nutrition. Look forward to meeting of minds at ANH!

The Agriculture, Nutrition & Health (ANH) Academy in partnership with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition will jointly host the 2nd Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH) Academy week and the 5th Annual Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition (Nutrition Innovation Lab) Agriculture-Nutrition Scientific Symposium on 9-13 July 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The ANH Academy and the Nutrition Innovation Lab invite the global community to participate in this event.

Contributed by Saba Aslam, Research Assistant, LANSA-CSSR

Photo credits: CSSR

 

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