Women's Work in Agriculture and Infant Nutrition

Background Over the last 10 years there has been an increase in the female agriculture labour force, in Pakistan, resulting in a feminisation of agriculture; which could have either a positive or negative impact on maternal and young child nutrition. It could have a positive impact through increased female wage earnings that improve her bargaining/decision-making power within the household. Women are more likely than men to make pro-nutrition choices with regards to household expenditure. Conversely, women's involvement in agricultural work may have a negative impact on infant or maternal nutrition by reducing time available for child care, through increased expenditure of physical energy without compensatory increases in food consumption or exposure to harmful toxins present in pesticides and other chemicals used in farming. Understanding the dynamics of these pathways, in a specific context, is important to ensure agriculture programmes and policies do not disadvantage women or their children. Overall aim To provide insights into positive and negative pathways between women's work in agriculture and maternal and child nutritional status, in different agriculture workload contexts, to inform agriculture interventions and policies in Pakistan. Specific Objectives

1. 1.To determine whether the number of hours a mother participates in agriculture work is associated with maternal body mass index and infant nutrition.
2. 2.To identify factors that modify the influence of maternal participation in agriculture work on maternal and infant nutritional status.