The Role of Nutrition and Women's Empowerment in Human Capital Development

Nutritional status and the empowerment of women have massive implications on the physical and mental development of their children. We explore the role of nutrition of women and children in the household and further posit the importance of the mother’s human capital. Increases in women’s human capital positively affect the efficiency of management and the allocation of other inputs for household production, especially for staples, vegetables and poultry. A model for human capital is postulated in which the primary input variables are the education of men, the education of women, health, training and a mother’s human capital. Due to the amplifying and intergenerational benefits of women’s human capital, we find that investments in women’s capital have greater positive benefits and implications for long-term food security and economic development than traditional academic models credit.