Who eats last? Intra-household gender inequality in food allocation among children in educationally backward areas of India

Abstract

The practice of women eating after men is a common gender-inequitable food allocation mechanism among adults in Indian households and has been associated with poor health and nutritional outcomes for women. However, empirical evidence on whether a similar practice of girls eating after boys is prevalent among children is scarce. Using primary data from a household survey conducted in educationally backward areas of four Indian states, we provide new evidence of this practice among children. Almost 28 per cent of the sample households follow the mealtime custom of girls eating after boys. Scheduled Tribes and households with higher incomes are less likely to follow this practice. Other relevant factors include children’s relative ages by sex and an interplay between family size and children’s sex composition. While our findings may not be generalizable, they suggest an intersectionality between gender and other dimensions of inequality, namely social identity and economic class. © 2023 Population Investigation Committee.