The Hunger Trap: Women, Food and Self-Determination

This article examines the relationships between self-determination, access to food, and women's lives. The argument that the production, purchase, and distribution of food is inextricably linked to women's lives on a global scale is demonstrated through women's life stories in Canada, Australia, Estonia, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan. The authors explore the complex relationship between political and civil rights and social, economic, and cultural rights and the significance of all rights in the context of food. The article focuses on international instruments such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and their ability to address issues affecting women's access to food. The authors conclude with an examination of the roles that international law and human rights play in focusing attention on the problem of hunger and in providing a standard of social justice that binds States.