XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

944

Gender and Famine: Dealing with Material Scarcity through Survival Strategies

WG05 Famine and Society (host committee)

Language: English

Poor people, women and men all over the world are particularly vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity that exacerbates during situations of famine. Those women who are old, widows, disserted and have little resources are more prone to insecurities of food availability. They are largely responsible for the children and other family members and have to evolve different ways to meet their economic needs. Nonetheless, they remain excluded from several efforts meant for reducing or eradicating poverty and consequently from development programmes. Women bear the brunt of excessive child bearing activities and face severe reproductive health problems. The high maternal and child mortality, malnutrition among women and children and the adverse declining sex-ratio, all go to suggest the significant gendered impact of famine. In such situations, as seen among many communities of the world, people according to their gender, class, caste or age negotiate with the people around them – friends, neighbours, relatives, for help and support to meet the crises condition of famine, food shortage and poverty.  How do social relations, kinship rules and marriage patterns determine and secure people material and economic entitlements? How do women and men become vulnerable to their social and economic scarcities during famine and struggle to meet their basic needs? How do they make use of the social basis as survival strategies for their well being during situations of famine and poverty? These are some of the questions that this session seeks to examine.