Abstract
The study focused on coping strategies adopted by female-headed
households for combating food insecurity during COVID-19 in the rural
areas of Anambra State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined coping
strategies adopted by female-headed household in combating food
unavailability, inaccessibility and challenges of food utilization during
COVID-19 in the rural areas. Three research questions guided the study.
Population of the study comprised of all the female-headed households in
all the four agricultural zones of Anambra state. Multi-stage sampling
method was used in selecting 192 female-headed households.
Questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using
mean and standard deviation. Results of the study are 13 coping strategies
for combating food unavailability. These include facilitating food system
innovations (X = 3.55), preserving food stuff using containers (X = 2.91),
engaging in crop production (X = 2.88) and others. There are also six
coping strategies for combating food inaccessibility, including storing
available food within the houswhold (X = 2.82), among others. Other
findings are coping strategies for challenges of food utilization. These
include, use of improved food preparation methods (X = 3.33), consuming
more fruits and vegetables found within the home environment (X = 3.88),
storing of food at home (X = 3.28), reduction in food wastage (X = 3.66),
consumption of low quality food substitutes (X = 3.11) and others. The
study recommends, among others, that government should give palliatives
to women; women should diversify family diets, and women hould source
fund for food outside the family.