“Nutrition isn’t just about food—it’s about fairness. When women and girls eat last, they carry the greatest burden of malnutrition. That’s why we made gender central to this work.” — Dr. Ajay Khera, Country Representative, EngenderHealth India

Nutrition is Not Gender Neutral

Across India, women and girls are more likely to eat last, eat less, and miss out on the nutrients they need to thrive. That’s one reason nearly six in ten women of reproductive age in India are anemic. When women’s health suffers, their education, work, and futures are limited too. 

Why Nutrition is also about Equality 

Adding essential vitamins and minerals to staple foods like rice, wheat, and cooking oil—what’s called large-scale food fortification (LSFF)—is one of the most cost-effective ways to fight malnutrition. But unless these programs consider gender, they can miss the people who need them most. After all, it’s not just about what food gets fortified, but also who actually gets to eat it. 

Bringing a Gender Lens to Food Systems 

From 2022 to 2025, EngenderHealth partnered with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to make LSFF programs in 18 Indian states more equitable.  

We asked questions like: 

• Who controls decisions about food in households and communities? 
• Do women and girls have the same access to fortified foods as men and boys? 
• How can we design programs that don’t reinforce old inequalities, but instead break them down? 

This process is called gender mainstreaming—making sure that women’s and men’s concerns and experiences are part of every step of a program, so everyone benefits equally.

Turning Ideas into Action 

We began with a gender analysis to identify where change was needed most in India’s food system. Working alongside government ministries, the food industry, and community leaders, EngenderHealth helped put gender at the center of national nutrition efforts.

We built gender indicators into program monitoring to ensure equity is measured long after the project’s end. And through hands-on training and capacity-building, our partners are now driving this work forward, turning gender equality in nutrition from an idea into lasting impact. 

Lasting Change 

This program is now closed, but its legacy lives on. Today, nutrition implementers in India are more aware of how gender shapes outcomes, policymakers are using new tools to track equity, and evidence from our work is informing future food fortification efforts. 

Why This Work Matters to Us  

Fortifying food is powerful, but when you add gender, it becomes transformative. It ensures women and girls—who are often the most affected by malnutrition—are no longer left behind. This transformation inspires hope for a more equitable future. 

“When you bring gender into nutrition programs, you don’t just fight anemia—you make food systems fairer,” said Rody Gangte, Project Lead, EngenderHealth India. “That change will continue to benefit women, children, and families for years to come.” 

What This Means Beyond India 

The lesson is clear: ending inequality can take many forms—even in something as everyday as a plate of food. When programs look at who has power, who makes decisions, and who eats, they can spark changes that ripple far beyond nutrition, fostering a sense of connection and shared responsibility in the global movement for equality. 

Equity at Every Table 

Food fortification may start with science, but its success depends on justice. By making gender central to nutrition, India’s programs proved that the path to better health can also be the path to greater equality. 

Learn more about our work mainstreaming gender in large-scale food fortification programs in India.