Gendered decision regimes and dietary coping under stress: evidence from negotiated food budgets in Malawi and Zambia

Résumé

Food and nutrition security among rural and low social economic urban households in Sub-Saharan Africa remains precarious, particularly under conditions of stress driven by seasonal scarcity and income volatility. Gendered roles influence household food priorities, yet little is known about how decision-making dynamics shift under stress and shape dietary coping responses. This study examined the dietary coping strategies employed by households during periods of stress and the role of gendered decision-making in mediating these adaptive responses. Data were collected using a novel Participatory Food Budgeting and Negotiation (PaFBaN) approach, complemented by observations of food purchasing and preparation practices. The study was rural Malawi ( n =24) and peri-urban Zambia ( n =44) enabling comparison across contrasting contexts. Inductive thematic content analysis was applied. Despite contextual differences, households in both settings demonstrated remarkably similar dietary coping strategies under stress. Food choices converged around carbohydrate-based staples, particularly maize, supplemented by inexpensive vegetables and minimal protein sources. The convergence reflected constraint-driven adaptation, with affordability, caloric sufficiency, and availability outweighing preferences, nutritional considerations and food safety concerns. Negotiated lean budgets were more closely aligned with women’s than men’s proposed budgets, suggesting greater women agency in food-related decision-making. Women played a key role in budget negotiations, used their knowledge of food prices, quantities, and meal preparation to refine men’s estimates to agreeable household food plans. Men’s influence became more prominent as resources increased and households incorporated discretionary, status-related, or identity-linked foods, while women continued to prioritise dietary adequacy, continuity, and meal management. The study reframes gendered dietary behaviour under chronic stress as negotiated adaptation, underscoring the need for food security interventions and consumer education that address both material scarcity and intra-household decision regimes.

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