In Afghanistan, women know what food their children need. Men decide what to buy.

A new study in Afghanistan finds that women know what food their children need, but men control the money and decide what to buy. This means families often choose cheap staple foods over nutrient-rich options, leading to widespread malnutrition.

For years, aid programs have focused on educating women about nutrition. This study shows that knowledge is not the problem. The problem is who controls the household budget and what social rules dictate who eats what. Any program that ignores these power dynamics will fail.