Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia
Women face numerous gender-based barriers that hinder their access to resources, nutritious foods, nutrition services, and maternity entitlements. Evidence shows that certain types of women’s groups can improve women’s access to resources and social capital and in some approaches also improve health...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1461998/full |
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| author | Monica Shrivastav Vani Sethi Avishek Hazra Zivai Murira Roopal Jyoti Singh Krishna Wagh Anuradha Nair Veronica Kamanga Njikho Sapna Desai |
| author_facet | Monica Shrivastav Vani Sethi Avishek Hazra Zivai Murira Roopal Jyoti Singh Krishna Wagh Anuradha Nair Veronica Kamanga Njikho Sapna Desai |
| author_sort | Monica Shrivastav |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Women face numerous gender-based barriers that hinder their access to resources, nutritious foods, nutrition services, and maternity entitlements. Evidence shows that certain types of women’s groups can improve women’s access to resources and social capital and in some approaches also improve health and nutrition outcomes. Women’s rights-based organizations in South Asia have a longstanding tradition of collective action toward gender equality. Women’s rights-based organizations work in areas such as microfinance, livelihoods, women’s rights, health, and combating violence against women. In this perspective article, we explore how women’s groups and rights-based organizations can leverage their collective strength to advance nutrition outcomes for women and children. We identify seven pathways implemented through women’s groups toward improving nutrition outcomes. These pathways include (i) income generation, (ii) agriculture, (iii) health and nutrition behavior change communication and participatory learning and action, (iv) advocating for rights to better health and social services, (v) food access, (vi) cash transfers, and (vii) strengthening service delivery and fostering convergence with health systems. We also note that women’s groups have the potential to implement integrated interventions through combined food-systems-rights pathways. Investing in this area can support transforming nutrition policy from a service delivery model to a rights-based approach. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-006abc393de34b06bbc7071a4429a77d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-006abc393de34b06bbc7071a4429a77d2025-02-05T07:31:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-02-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.14619981461998Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South AsiaMonica Shrivastav0Vani Sethi1Avishek Hazra2Zivai Murira3Roopal Jyoti Singh4Krishna Wagh5Anuradha Nair6Veronica Kamanga Njikho7Sapna Desai8PopulationCouncil Consulting, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaUNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, NepalPopulationCouncil Consulting, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaUNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, NepalPopulation Council Institute, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, IndiaPopulation Council Institute, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, IndiaUNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, NepalUNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, NepalPopulation Council Institute, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, IndiaWomen face numerous gender-based barriers that hinder their access to resources, nutritious foods, nutrition services, and maternity entitlements. Evidence shows that certain types of women’s groups can improve women’s access to resources and social capital and in some approaches also improve health and nutrition outcomes. Women’s rights-based organizations in South Asia have a longstanding tradition of collective action toward gender equality. Women’s rights-based organizations work in areas such as microfinance, livelihoods, women’s rights, health, and combating violence against women. In this perspective article, we explore how women’s groups and rights-based organizations can leverage their collective strength to advance nutrition outcomes for women and children. We identify seven pathways implemented through women’s groups toward improving nutrition outcomes. These pathways include (i) income generation, (ii) agriculture, (iii) health and nutrition behavior change communication and participatory learning and action, (iv) advocating for rights to better health and social services, (v) food access, (vi) cash transfers, and (vii) strengthening service delivery and fostering convergence with health systems. We also note that women’s groups have the potential to implement integrated interventions through combined food-systems-rights pathways. Investing in this area can support transforming nutrition policy from a service delivery model to a rights-based approach.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1461998/fullwomen’s groupswomen’s rights-based organizationnutritionrightspathwaysSouth Asia |
| spellingShingle | Monica Shrivastav Vani Sethi Avishek Hazra Zivai Murira Roopal Jyoti Singh Krishna Wagh Anuradha Nair Veronica Kamanga Njikho Sapna Desai Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia Frontiers in Public Health women’s groups women’s rights-based organization nutrition rights pathways South Asia |
| title | Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia |
| title_full | Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia |
| title_fullStr | Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia |
| title_short | Building a rights-based approach to nutrition for women and children: harnessing the potential of women’s groups and rights-based organizations in South Asia |
| title_sort | building a rights based approach to nutrition for women and children harnessing the potential of women s groups and rights based organizations in south asia |
| topic | women’s groups women’s rights-based organization nutrition rights pathways South Asia |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1461998/full |
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