The Role of Women's Intra-Household Decision-Making in Enhancing Crop Diversity and Dietary Diversity to Achieve SGD Synergies: Evidence From the Vulnerable Areas of Asia

Women in Asia countries are often characterized by high participation but limited decision-making in agricultural activities, despite their critical role in achieving the synergistic benefits of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). This study examines the association between women's intra-household decision-making regarding crop choice and household dietary diversity and its underlying mechanism mediated by crop diversity. Using primary data collected from 1133 households in vulnerable areas across five Asian countries, this study finds that both the proportion of women's independent intra-household decision-making regarding crop choice and household dietary diversity score (HDDS) are low in these areas. Poisson regression and Inverse Probability-Weighted Regression-Adjustment method reveal that the households with women's independent decision-making regarding crop choice have 0.250 points higher household dietary diversity score than those with men's independent decision-making. The results from the mediating effect model show that the diversity of vegetable species-rather than other crops-plays a partially mediating role (12%) in this association. These findings indicate that enhancing women's intra-household decision-making regarding crop choice can be a lever to trigger co-benefits among SDG 2, SDG 5, and SDG 15 in the vulnerable areas of Asia.