Women as the "architects of food security"

I've written about this issue here, and now just heard on NPR that aid agencies distributing food in Haiti have begun trying specifically to get food aid the food into the hands of women because they have found that these recipients tend to ensure that women and children are fed first. Distributing to young men, on the other hand, has "caused problems," perhaps meaning it goes to the black market.

I know this "architects of food security"label and the idea behind it feed into gender essentialism, which makes me uncomfortable. But, maybe there's some truth to it--in which case it would seem worth acting on.