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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Lilia Bliznashka

Lily Bliznashka is a Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Her research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of multi-input nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions and the mechanisms through which they work to improve maternal and child health and nutrition globally. She has worked in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion

Julie Ghostlaw

Country Program Manager

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Julie Ghostlaw

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Julie Ghostlaw is a Country Program Manager with the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit, and is working in an outposted capacity.

Publications

Publications

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Journal Article

Trends and inequities in adequacy of micronutrient intakes in rural Bangladesh

2025Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Tran, Lan Mai; Parvin, Aklima; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ahmed, Akhter
Details

Trends and inequities in adequacy of micronutrient intakes in rural Bangladesh

Background Micronutrient deficiencies pose a significant public health challenge, yet limited evidence exists on micronutrient intakes over time in Bangladesh. Objective We assessed trends and adequacies in micronutrient intakes and examined the changes in inequities by age group, sex, and expenditure quintile. Methods We used panel data from the 2011 and 2018 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (n =21,475 and 21,589 household members aged ≥2y, respectively). Food consumption data were collected using a household dietary recall. Changes in micronutrient intakes were assessed using non-parametric Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon rank sum test. Inequities in outcomes were examined using the Slope Index of Inequality and Concentration Index. Results Micronutrient intakes remained suboptimal across 2011 and 2018, with low adequacy (<0.50) for all nutrients except niacin. While vitamin A intake increased across various demographics, trends for other micronutrient intakes differed by age. Intakes improved for 10 micronutrients among children aged 2-<5y, but increased for only half of examined micronutrients among children aged 5-9y. For adolescents and adults, most micronutrient intakes slightly declined, with greater inadequacies observed among females versus males. Pregnant women experienced sharper declines in adequacy of micronutrient intakes than lactating women. The mean probability of adequacy (MPA) was low (around one-third) for all age groups with lower MPA among poorer compared to richer households across age, sex and survey years. Inequity gaps in MPA mostly declined, except for females ≥50y and pregnant women. Conclusions Micronutrient intakes and adequacies remain suboptimal and have decreased marginally over time for many nutrients and MPA across most age groups. Inequities in micronutrient intakes persist by age, sex, and income levels, disproportionately affecting the poor, adults, and women. Our study calls for evidence-based policies and programs that incorporate a range of proven approaches and tailored solutions to effectively tackle persisting inequities and ensure access to healthy diets for all.

Year published

2025

Authors

Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Tran, Lan Mai; Parvin, Aklima; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ahmed, Akhter

Citation

Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Tran, Lan Mai; Parvin, Aklima; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; and Ahmed, Akhter U. Trends and inequities in adequacy of micronutrient intakes in rural Bangladesh. Journal of Nutrition 155(2): 492-508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.11.018

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Dietary Diversity; Micronutrient Deficiencies; Rural Areas; Trace Elements

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.11.018 Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

Increasing production diversity and diet quality: Evidence from Bangladesh

2024Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona M.; Ghostlaw, Julie; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma
Details

Increasing production diversity and diet quality: Evidence from Bangladesh

In the context of rural Bangladesh, we assess whether agriculture training alone, nutrition behavior communication change (BCC) alone, combined agriculture training and nutrition BCC, or agriculture training and nutrition BCC combined with gender sensitization improve: (a) production diversity, either on household fields or through crop, livestock, or aquaculture activities carried out near the family homestead; and (b) diet diversity and the quality of household diets. All treatment arms were implemented by government employees. Implementation quality was high. No treatment increased production diversification of crops grown on fields. Treatment arms with agricultural training did increase the number of different crops grown in homestead gardens and the likelihood of any egg, dairy, or fish production but the magnitudes of these effect sizes were small. All agricultural treatment arms had, in percentage terms, large effects on measures of levels of homestead production. However, because baseline levels of production were low, the magnitude of these changes in absolute terms was modest. Nearly all treatment arms improved measures of food consumption and diet with the largest effects found when nutrition and agriculture training were combined. Relative to treatments combining agriculture and nutrition training, we find no significant impact of adding the gender sensitization on our measures of production diversity or diet quality. Interventions that combine agricultural training and nutrition BCC can improve both production diversity and diet quality, but they are not a panacea. They can, however, contribute toward better diets of rural households.

Year published

2024

Authors

Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona M.; Ghostlaw, Julie; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma

Citation

Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Ghostlaw, Julie; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; et al. 2024. Increasing production diversity and diet quality: Evidence from Bangladesh. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 106(3): 1089-1110. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12427

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agriculture; Agricultural Training; Nutrition; Behaviour; Communication; Gender; Diversification; Production; Dietary Diversity; Aquaculture; Rural Areas; Households

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12427 Source record

Project

Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia

Record type

Journal Article

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Brief

Empowering women in agriculture: The role of the WEAI in Bangladesh

2023Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Malapit, Hazel J.; Ghostlaw, Julie
Details

Empowering women in agriculture: The role of the WEAI in Bangladesh

Empowering women is crucial for a country’s development because it leads to greater economic growth, increased productivity, and improved social outcomes. When women have access to education, economic opportunities, and decision-making power, they are better able to contribute to their families and communities. This can lead to increased income, improved health and education outcomes, and reduced poverty. In Bangladesh, women and girls still face considerable barriers to accessing education and economic opportunities, and are often subjected to traditional gender roles that may hinder them. Although women play a crucial role in agriculture, they experience many challenges that limit their productivity and economic potential, such as limited access to credit and training. They are also often marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes. As the complexity and importance of gender equity in development work has increased, so too has the need to measure empowerment and progress made toward improving empowerment and achieving gender parity. In Bangladesh, there has been growing momentum by the government and development partners to use evidence to inform gender-sensitive and -responsive policies and programs. The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) has emerged as a key tool to achieve this objective. This brief examines how WEAI data have informed and supported the design of policies and programs to promote women’s empowerment in Bangladesh.

Year published

2023

Authors

Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Malapit, Hazel J.; Ghostlaw, Julie

Citation

Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Malapit, Hazel J.; and Ghostlaw, Julie. 2023. Empowering women in agriculture: The role of the WEAI in Bangladesh. WEAI Applications and Insights Brief 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136634.

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Gender; Women’s Empowerment; Data; Agriculture; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136634 Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

A research agenda to accelerate action on nutrition-sensitive food systems
Research Post
 | 
August 15, 2025

A research agenda to accelerate action on nutrition-sensitive food systems

By Inge Brouwer, Deanna Olney, Purnima Menon, and Julie Ghostlaw

Key avenues for innovation.

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia 2024 Conference: Connecting the dots across systems
Event Post
 | 
February 04, 2025

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia 2024 Conference: Connecting the dots across systems

By Julie Ghostlaw, Esha Sarswat, Shreya Chakraborty, Neha Kumar, Swetha Manohar, and Samuel Scott

Exploring the interconnectedness of food systems.

Making a Difference: The Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL) Project
Research Post
 | 
June 26, 2023

Making a Difference: The Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL) Project

By Akhter Ahmed, Julie Ghostlaw, and Eleanor Jones

This blog describes the success of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL) Project in Bangladesh, which conducted agricultural production and nutrition trainings for farm households to improve agricultural diversity, family nutrition, and women’s empowerment. With appropriate funding, the program can be scaled up and implemented nationally.

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Events

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 3 to 5, 2024

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems

South Asia grapples with escalating levels of malnutrition in various forms, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, alongside increasing incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition results from a complex interplay of factors incorporating household and individual decision-making, agriculture and food systems, healthcare services, education, and socio-ecological systems that determine access to services and […]