The Role of Women in Urban Food Security, Namibia

The Institute of African Studies, Carleton University presents:



The Role of Women in Urban Food Security in the Informal Settlements of
Windhoek, Namibia



with

Ndeyapo Nickanor, PhD candidate, U. of Cape Town



When: Wednesday, 21 November, 1:00 - 2:30 pm

Where: The History Lounge, 433 Paterson Hall, Carleton University, Ottawa



Abstract: More than ever before, food security and poverty have
increasingly become problems of the urban, informal settlements, for
cities in Southern Africa this situation is intensified by the continued
rapid urbanization particularly from the rural areas. This influx combined
with high levels of unemployment, high food prices, climate change issues
and extreme levels of poverty have made food insecurity in urban areas a
concern. In urban areas the poor are immersed in a cash economy through
which food is acquired. Given the over-emphasis of poverty among female
headed households, in the urban areas they are the poorest. This research
provides for an understanding of how female headed households in the poor
urban informal settlements of Windhoek source food and the coping
strategies which they employ to make a living.



Ndeyapo Nickanor is a PhD student at the University of Cape Town, South
Africa. She also teaches in the Department of Statistics and Population
Studies at the University of Namibia. She is currently at QueenÂ's
University as an exchange student through the Students for Development
Program, under the guidance of Professor Jonathan Crush, QueenÂ's
professor and Director of Southern African Research Centre (SARC).



For more information, please contact the Institute of African Studies at
613-520-2600 ext. 2220 or African_Studies@carleton.ca



*For a campus map, please see: http://www2.carleton.ca/cu/campus/