PhD Oral Defense: Understanding the relationships between women's access to land resources and household food security in Eastern Kenya
PhD Oral Defense of June Yee Tsun Po, Department of Natural Resource Sciences
Household food and nutrition security remains a major societal challenge, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. In smallholder farming systems, women play a critical role in improving household food and nutritional security as producers, food providers, and primary caregivers. However, women face multiple constraints in their access to land resources, limiting their livelihood potential. In response to calls to elevate women’s access and control to agricultural resources, this dissertation seeks to better understand the relationships between women’s access to land resources and household food and nutritional security. This research is set in the Kamba smallholder agricultural systems of Machakos and Makueni Counties in Kenya. It draws on theoretical concepts from the sustainable livelihoods approach, social capital, access theory, and social-ecological resilience.