WOMEN'S POULTRY REARING COLLECTIVES AND THEIR EFFECT ON HOUSEHOLD NUTRITION AND WOMEN'S SOCIAL STATUS

Naheed  Shah; Majida Khan

Authors

Naheed Shah University of Sindh, Pakistan. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4289
Majida Khan LUMHS Jamshoro, Pakistan. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9346-1804

Keywords:

Child nutrition, Decision-making autonomy, Household income, Protein intake, Poultry, Women’s empowerment, Women’s collectives

Abstract

Background: Women’s involvement in small-scale poultry production has been proposed as a strategy to improve household nutrition and empower women in rural settings. Poultry products, particularly eggs and meat, provide essential protein for child growth, while women’s management of livestock may enhance their decision-making authority and income. Despite these theoretical benefits, empirical evidence on the combined effects of women’s poultry collectives on child nutrition, household income, and women’s autonomy remains limited.

Objective: The study aimed to measure the impact of women’s poultry rearing collectives on child protein intake, household poultry-related income, and women’s decision-making autonomy in rural South Punjab.

Methods: A community-based analytical study was conducted with 200 households, comprising 100 participant and 100 non-participant households. Data were collected using structured 24-hour dietary recalls, seven-day food frequency questionnaires for children, standardized economic questionnaires for poultry income, and validated multi-domain instruments for women’s autonomy. Continuous variables were analyzed using independent t-tests and ANOVA, while linear regression and Pearson correlation assessed associations between income, autonomy, and child protein intake.

Results: Children in participant households had higher mean daily protein intake (34.7 g vs. 27.9 g) than those in non-participant households. Household poultry income was significantly greater among participants (PKR 5200 vs. PKR 1600). Women in collectives scored higher across all autonomy domains, including household purchases, child feeding decisions, asset use, and community participation. Positive correlations were observed between income and autonomy, and between autonomy and child protein intake, indicating synergistic benefits of collective participation.

Conclusion: Participation in women’s poultry rearing collectives enhances child dietary protein intake, strengthens household income, and increases women’s decision-making autonomy. These findings highlight the potential of community-based poultry programs as a sustainable intervention to improve nutrition and empower women in rural settings.

Author Biographies

Naheed Shah, University of Sindh, Pakistan.

Assistant Professor Department of Zoology, University of Sindh, Pakistan.
Majida Khan, LUMHS Jamshoro, Pakistan.

Assistant Professor, LUMHS Jamshoro, Pakistan.

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