The third pillar of food security is the achievement of nutrition security-that is, adequate protein, energy, micronutrients, and minerals for all household members. Nutrition security depends not only on sufficient food at the household level but also on factors such as health and child care and access to clean water and sanitation. Ensuring the nutrition security of the household, through the combination of food and other resources, is almost the exclusive domain of women. Nearly all non- food inputs into nutrition require time investment, and in general these investments are made by women. These caring behaviours are time-intensive.
Women constantly face difficult choices in their time allocation decisions.
However, increasing female employment outside the home may increase women's bargaining power within the household. Development of technology that relieves women's time burdens in agricultural production and household maintenance without sacrificing their ability to earn independent incomes is therefore critical. Protecting female nutrition status is important in providing a head start for children's nutrition status. But women's nutrition status may be threatened when women act as shock absorbers for the household by the liquidation of their own nutrition status in lean seasons. Conclusion and recommendations To allow women to fulfill their potential in generating food security, national governments and international organizations must take policy steps in three broad areas.