Increasing the Health and Nutritional Outcomes of the Governm ...

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  • Title: Increasing the Health and Nutritional Outcomes of the Government of Rwanda’s “One Cow per Poor Family” Program from a Gender Perspective
  • Author(s): Kathleen Earl Colverson
  • Publisher: Common Ground Research Networks
  • Collection: Common Ground Research Networks
  • Series: Common Ground Open
  • Journal Title: Food Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal
  • Keywords: Gender, Nutrition, Dairy Value Chain, Rwanda
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue: 2
  • Date: May 31, 2018
  • ISSN: 2160-1933 (Print)
  • ISSN: 2160-1941 (Online)
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.18848/2160-1933/CGP/v08i02/31-44
  • Citation: Colverson, Kathleen Earl. 2018. "Increasing the Health and Nutritional Outcomes of the Government of Rwanda’s “One Cow per Poor Family” Program from a Gender Perspective." Food Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal 8 (2): 31-44. doi:10.18848/2160-1933/CGP/v08i02/31-44.
  • Extent: 14 pages

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Abstract

In the past decade, Rwanda has made great strides as a country to identify and reduce barriers associated with gender and stereotypes; however, problems still exist that have yet to be tackled regarding gender, including cultural gender norms, lack of access to extension and agricultural services, lack of access to financial support (through credit), and higher rates of illiteracy, especially for women. Although much progress has been made in the area of nutrition in Rwanda, stunting and malnutrition continue to exist at high rates throughout the country. Furthermore, gender and nutrition issues often go hand-in-hand. The “One Cow per Poor Family” program (commonly referred to as GIRINKA) was implemented to address two important issues: increasing income and reducing malnutrition. This paper is a brief review of the GIRINKA project from a gendered perspective and offers recommendations for implementing organizations on how the program might more actively address the needs of women and children related to nutrition and gender.