GENDER INEQUALITY AND FOOD INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: PATHWAYS TO WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

The issue of women's empowerment and gender equality is at the top of agendas across the world, as gender inequality is wide-spread in all cultures. In developing countries, gender disparity is highly rampant compared to the developed countries. Food security involves food access, availability, use and sustainability, hence, people can be said to be food secured when they are able to get adequate, safe and nutritious diets all year round. The paper examines gender and food security, analyzing disparities and empowering women. the paper also reviews the Food Security from Pillars to Pathways, measurement of food security, Indicators for Global Food Security, monitoring of food security, dimension of food security and determinant of food security in Nigeria. A number of studies have shown that sustainable development is impossible without women's empowerment and gender equality. Consequently, it is asserted that gender equality is both a human rights issue and a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable development. It is also affirmed that gender disparity is prevalent across the cultures of the world and that without serious steps to tackle it, sustainable development cannot be achieved.