Peer-reviewed article
Eating for honour: A cultural-ecological analysis of food behaviours among adolescent girls in the southern plains of Nepal.
Morrison J, Basnet M, Sharma N ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines why adolescent girls in Nepal's southern plains eat poorly, using qualitative data from focus groups with girls aged 12-19, mothers, and community elders. Eating practices are shaped by strong gender norms that prioritise boys' nutrition and view girls as less worthy of food investment. Girls are expected to eat less and work more to prepare for subservient roles as wives and daughters-in-law, and must restrict eating to maintain family honour. The research shows that individual nutrition interventions will fail unless they address the underlying patriarchal structures and harmful gender norms that constrain girls' food access and choices.
Key points
- Boys receive preferential access to food, money, and freedom of movement because they are valued as future family providers
- Girls' eating practices are constrained by expectations of obedience and sacrifice, and they are expected to eat less and do more housework than boys
- Food is viewed as an investment with boys perceived to have greater nutritional need than girls
- Girls' eating behaviour and choices are restricted to maintain self and family honour within patriarchal norms
- Interventions must engage multiple community actors and address harmful gender norms rather than focusing only on individual responsibility
Limitations
This is a secondary analysis of qualitative data and does not measure nutritional intake or health outcomes. The findings describe perceptions and cultural norms but cannot quantify the extent of nutritional deficiency or its impact on girls' health and development.
Abstract
Access to adequate and nutritious food is important for the current and future health of adolescent girls. Interventions often focus on the individual as responsible for their own health ignoring the complex structural issues that underlie optimal nutrition. In South Asia gender inequalities have been noted as an important determinant of poor nutrition among women and their young children, but analysis of adolescent girls' diets and what influences these are rarely undertaken. Therefore, we sought to analyse the factors affecting what and where girls' eat and what affects their behaviour in the plains of Nepal, using a cultural-ecological approach. We analysed a secondary qualitative dataset of focus group discussions with adolescent girls aged 12-19 years old, young mothers, mothers-in-law, and older female key informants. Eating was heavily influenced by patriarchal norms. Boys had preferential access to food, money, and freedom of movement to appreciate their future role in providing for the family. Food was an investment, and boys were perceived to have more nutritional need than girls. Girls were not perceived to be a good return on investment of food, and eating practices sought to prepare them for life as a subservient daughter-in-law and wife. Obedience and sacrifice were valued in girls, and they were expected to eat less and do more housework than boys. Girls' eating and behaviour was constrained to maintain self and family honour. Interventions should acknowledge cultural influences on eating and engage multiple actors in addressing harmful gender norms which limit eating and prevent girls from reaching their potential.