Gender-Responsive Legal Protection of Pregnant Women's Nutrition: Reframing Indonesia's "Isi Piringku" through the FAO Policy on Gender Equality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61159/4nv5h021Keywords:
Legal protection, Pregnant women, Isi Piringku, FAO Policy on Gender Equality, Gender justiceAbstract
The right of pregnant women to nutritious food is not only a matter of biological need but also a question of legal protection and gender justice. In Indonesia, high maternal mortality and persistent child stunting remain serious structural problems, and they are often worsened by patriarchal patterns of food distribution within the household. This study analyses how the legal protection of pregnant women can be strengthened by integrating the "Isi Piringku" (My Plate) nutrition guideline with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Policy on Gender Equality. Using normative legal research with statute, conceptual, and policy-comparative approaches, the study examines constitutional, statutory, and regulatory norms alongside international gender-equality standards. The results show that Indonesian health legislation formally guarantees the right to health, but clinical nutrition campaigns such as "Isi Piringku" fall short because they ignore household gender power dynamics and stop at the door of the private home. The FAO Policy on Gender Equality offers three relevant pillars: equal decision-making power, equal access to resources and food, and the reduction and redistribution of unpaid care work. The study proposes a policy shift that turns "Isi Piringku" from a passive health recommendation into an active, gender-responsive legal instrument, supported by shared spousal duties, the recognition of nutritional neglect, and village-level regulation, so that pregnant women receive equitable access to nutritious food.
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