Violence and women’s participation in the right to adequate food and nutrition

Violence against women is an under-examined barrier to women’s right to adequate food and nutrition and their participation in development and food security strategies. This volume was introduced with the question: “When so many call for the inclusion of women and a gender perspective in food and nutrition security, why is the food and nutrition security status of women and girls not improving?” Part of the answer is that violence impedes women from engaging in their own right to adequate food and nutrition and from acting on behalf of their families and communities to the full extent of their capabilities.1 Furthermore, this violence is rarely acknowledged or anticipated when attempting to address women’s particular over-representation among the food and nutrition insecure and to mainstream them into right to adequate food and nutrition work.