Food Insecurity among African Women Residing in Rural and Informal Urban Areas During Lockdown in South Africa

Abstract

Women play a critical role by providing food to ensure the survival of their families and the economic disadvantages women suffer can be linked to complexities arising from the intersection of gender with other identity categories such as race and class. The aim of this article is to examine how food insecurity among African women residing in rural and informal urban areas have been affected by COVID-19 and lockdown in South Africa. The paper uses a qualitative literature review and a feminist economic theoretical framework to bring attention to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on food insecurity among African women residing in rural and informal urban areas. We argue that African women residing in rural and informal urban areas have been seriously disadvantaged in securing food during lockdown due to intra-household inequality.

Keywords: African women, children, coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, feminist economists, informal urban areas, lockdown, and rural areas