More than 16,000 children die every day from hunger-related causes. Yet, few of these deaths are due to outright starvation. Instead, children who are “only” mildly or moderately undernourished suffer from immune systems that are unable to fight common illnesses that we could easily overcome.

With the surging food prices and food shortages of the global hunger crisis, even more children and families are facing serious food insecurity.

What can you do when the causes of poverty are complex and the effects so daunting? One of the answers is to invest education and resources into women.

Women are the primary caretakers of children under the age of five — the ones most vulnerable to the ravages of chronic hunger and malnutrition. Also, research confirms that mothers tend to use new income and resources for the benefit of their children. By giving women the powerful resources of credit and knowledge, you affect the nutrition, health and education of an entire household.

So send a message to the next President of the United States — make eradicating hunger a priority and invest in programs that help women help themselves and their families.