Masculinities in context: how food insecurity shapes conjugal dynamics in northwestern Benin

Further place-based empirical research on food insecurity and masculinities is necessary, particularly in West Africa, where notions of agrarian masculinity remain entrenched and rigid gender norms dictate the division of labour and household organization. Responding to the calls for more empirical research at this nexus in rural Africa, we draw on focus group and interview data collected in the Atacora region of Benin. We find that men's identities as household breadwinners are being undermined by worsening food insecurity, which is contributing to growing inequality in the gendered division of labour. The result is a fraught renegotiation of gender roles within the household, wherein men attempt to reassert their masculinity and dominance in the gender hierarchy through violence. By engaging in a nuanced place-based analysis, our study explains how food insecurity in subsistence farming contexts intersects with masculinities to reproduce inequality and violence against women within the household.

Automated summary

Further research is needed to understand the relationship between food insecurity and masculinities, particularly in West Africa where gender norms and agrarian masculinity are deeply rooted. Using data from focus groups and interviews in the Atacora region of Benin, we find that worsening food insecurity undermines men's role as household breadwinners, leading to increased gender inequalities in labor division. Men attempt to assert their masculinity and dominance through violence, resulting in a renegotiation of gender roles within the household. This study highlights how food insecurity and masculinities intersect to perpetuate inequality and violence against women.