Paper short abstract:

This paper discuss the regimes of production,distribution to consumption of foodways at family as well as state level,which are directly or indirectly affecting the health of pregnant women in particular and resultant is the maternal illhealth & deaths.The data based on my PhD field work in Pakistan

Paper long abstract:

The present paper would discuss the impact of personal, familial, societal and governmental (state) food-ways related choices, restrictions, policies, and practices, on the pregnant woman in southern areas of Pakistan. It would elaborate the difference between need and choice at individual level in the absence of sufficient resources, and presence of family dictations to a woman in terms of what, how, where and when to eat. Moreover, at state level, the paper would touch the ongoing different nutritional programs for the improvement of health of neonatal and pregnant women. The programs are aid-supported, provided by various (I)NGOs such as WHO, UNICEF, DFID. The paper will study how these initiatives are determining the food choices for a pregnant woman. However, the paper would attempt to unpack the socio-economic situation of these women, which is caused by the lack of effective state-run policies and practices regarding food systems, responsible for the vicious circle of poverty. When the sufficient food lacks due to unequal distribution of the resources, it is not a justified way to talk about the quality food. Nevertheless, a pregnant woman needs food in terms of quantity and quality. It means, this paper would highlight these three levels, i.e., family, state and global, which leave strong impressions on the health of a woman, specially a pregnant one. These impressions may appear in the form of food choices and availability leading towards malnutrition, maternal ill-health.