Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi

AN OVERVIEW OF GENDER EQUALITY, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA

Adamu, Usman and Almu, Bello

Abstract

Fundamentally, food is the major survival need across the globe. Hence plethora of efforts are being geared towards improving quality, production, and supply of adequate and nutritional food. This is for the fact food security ensure stability to individuals, families, societies, nations, and world at large. The aim of this paper is to examine the nature, dynamics and dimensions of food security in relation to gender equality and social inclusion in Nigeria. Abraham Maslow human need theory was anchored in this paper to explain the phenomena under study. The paper employed secondary data analysis to gain more understanding of the essence and psychology of gender equality, social inclusion and food security in Nigeria. Hence, the paper used both published and unpublished documents including textbooks, journals, magazines, and other related articles. Findings of the study revealed among other things that much of the world's data on gender equality overlooks questions of women food security. This neglect has affected women negatively by making them more vulnerable, having less food than men in every region of the world. The paper concludes that in order to achieve significant gender equality, effective social inclusion and food security for all in Nigeria, strategic policies towards empowering older people, people without official identification, people with HIV, people with disabilities, people from ethnic &religious minorities, migrants, and internally displaced people should be guaranteed. Finally the paper recommends amongst other things that short-term and long-term policy responses should be in place, to ensure food security and nutrition for all, in terms of adequate supply, decent production, & stability, in the face of economic shocks that limit households' purchasing power.

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