Culture, Religion and Food Security for Indian Women: A Cultural Perspective

Food security is a state of having a source of access to

enough quantity of affordable and nutritious food. Food and

food related practices stem from the social construction of

gendered roles and responsibilities that assigns the liability of

feeding the family to a feminine quality and responsibility. The

gendered stereotype of women as primary nurturers, caregivers

for children and family members is a notion deeply entrenched

in the patriarchal ideologies of society. India being one such

society, the onus of ‘providing’ for the family’s food needs

is viewed as a woman’s liability. Family food security exists

when all its members, always, have access to enough food for

an active, healthy life. Social institutions such as ‘family’ and

‘religion’ have been the drivers for determining food related

practices and food security in the family.