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Paper short abstract:

Governance and health investment play pivotal roles in mitigating the adverse effects of food crises on household welfare in Africa, with pronounced gendered dimensions. Thus, we will focus on how governance and public health expenditure intersect to shape household resilience during food crises.

Paper long abstract:

Food crises in Sub-Saharan Africa exacerbate pre-existing inequalities, as women and girls bear a disproportionate share of the burden. This study will examine the intersection of governance quality, public health investment, and gendered household welfare outcomes during periods of food insecurity in the region. We will employ panel data from 44 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to uncover how governance effectiveness, quality, and health sector policies affect men and women differently, particularly in contexts of heightened vulnerability to food crises.

Accordingly, the study will highlight the gendered dimensions of food crises and explain women’s roles as primary caregivers and food providers make them particularly susceptible to the cascading effects of weak governance and underfunded health systems. Poor governance often aggravates the equitable distribution of health resources, disproportionately affecting women’s access to maternal health services, nutritional support, and economic opportunities. Conversely, countries with inclusive governance frameworks and gender-responsive health investments may show improved welfare outcomes for women, bolstering overall household resilience. Integrating gender equity into governance reforms and health sector strategies can be crucial to addressing the reoccurring food crises effectively. It calls for participatory policy processes that center women’s voices alongside targeted investments in maternal health, childcare support, and gender-based safety nets. These measures mitigate the immediate impacts of food crises on women and girls and contribute to long-term household and community resilience. By focusing on gender differentials in the effect of the governance-health nexus, this study offers a pathway for enhancing inclusive and sustainable development in SSA amidst recurrent crises.