Gender Bias in Nutrient Intake: Evidence from Selected Indian States

The importance of nutrient intake in the development literature stems from its role as a determinant of economic growth and welfare via its link with productivity and deprivation. This article analyses nutrient intake in rural India and provides evidence on its determinants in selected Indian states. Of particular interest is the analysis of gender bias in nutritional intake. The estimation results show that there is considerable heterogeneity in the experience of various Indian states and between various age groups. For example, while Kerala and Maharashtra record significant gender bias in the intra-household allocation of nutrients to adults in the age group 18–60 years, the bias occurs in the younger age group of 11–17 years in case of Haryana. None of the selected states records significant gender bias in the allocation of nutrients to young infants (0–5 years). The results of this study suggest that policies need to be tailored to the realities of individual states for their effectiveness. The study also provides evidence that suggests that the conventional expenditure based poverty rates underestimate poverty considerably in relation to those based on minimum levels of calorie intake recommended by the Indian Planning Commission. Finally the results also show that the use of age and gender invariant ‘minimum’ calorie levels overestimate poverty in relation to those that recognize their variation between individuals. © 2006, Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.