Effects of Russian-Ukraine War (RUW) on Gender and Food Security in Kenya
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Date
2025
Authors
M.P Musyoka
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AERC
Abstract
The Russia and Ukraine crisis escalated into a war in February 2022, with devastating economic consequences. However, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine War (RUW) on gender dynamics remains largely unexplored, particularly at the microeconomic, household, and individual levels. This study considers Russian Ukraine war as an exogenous shock with gender and food security effects at the household level. Data was collected from a random sample of 2,030 respondents through phone interviews conducted in April and May 2024. In this paper, RUW is considered akin to a foreign policy and effects on food security and on gender are determined using a 2-Stage Least Squares (2SLS). The dependent variable, Food Insecurity Experience Index (FIEI), was computed using principal component analysis. The results show that food security condition at household level is driven by wages received, domestic and exogenous trade policy perceptions in addition to the education levels of the respondents. Domestic policy led to worsening of food security position in general. On further disaggregation, the results reveal that while the domestic policies worked to the advantage of male headed households’ food security, both domestic and exogenous (RUW) worsened women’s food security position. This study recommends social safety nets deliberately targeted towards women, especially in women-headed households, building the resilience of women in business and in waged employment, enhancing the financial position of women during crisis through informal financial institutions such as the Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), and capacity building to buttress the skills of women in business and income generating startups.