Abstract
This paper reports a time-allocation study conducted in south Nyanza, Kenya. Data on household composition, identifying each household member, age, and relationship to each other were collected from 75 households. The data describe the internal household division of labour, especially how men and women differently allocate productive and reproductive work time, and how patterns of labour allocation differ between households that have entered into contracted sugar cane production and those that have not. While the sugar cane scheme has resulted in higher aggregate household incomes for its participants, nutritional status has not improved measurably. Other environmental factors such as water quality, sanitation, and access to medical care may play stronger roles in child nutrition status than women's time-allocation and participation in the sugar cane scheme. The results reveal gender-specific patterns of labour that may have consequences over the long run for children's nutrition status.