Determinants of Rural Women Economic Empowerment in Agricultural Activities: The Case of Damot Gale Woreda of Wolaita Zone, SNNPRS of Ethiopia

Abebayehu Chama Didana

doi:10.7176/jesd/10-3-05

Abstract

This study was aimed at analyzing the determinants of economic empowerment of rural women through agricultural activities in the Damot Gale Woreda. A total of 369 sample farm households were randomly selected from four selected kebeles. Primary and secondary data sources were used for this study. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaire, key informant interview and focus group discussions. To this end, the author used mixed research approach. Descriptive statistics, woman empowerment in agriculture index (WEAI) and regression analysis were used to analyzing the collected data. Overall five domains of empowerment (5DE) of the study area were 74% and the 5DE result shows that 66% of the women in the sample were disempowered. The regression result reveals that out of fourteen explanatory variables incorporated in the model, eleven variables such as age, family size, education level, household income, off-farm income, employment/doing any paid work, ownership of property, credit utilization, distance from the market, access of information and participation of community affairs were found to be a significant determinants of economic empowerment of rural women though agricultural activities in the Woreda. Whereas factors such as spousal relationship, farm size and extension service have no significant influence. The improvement of the contribution of each indicator to women disempowerment according to their importance shall reduce disempowerment and facilitate adequate empowerment in all dimensions. Hence the findings of the study may inform policymakers about the determinants of economic empowerment though agriculture in the Woreda, and helps to formulate constructive policy that will improve economic empowerment of rural women and that will to promote the economic development of the country on the other hand. Keywords : Economic empowerment, Binary Logistic Regression model, WEAI, Women. DOI : 10.7176/JESD/10-3-05

Highlights

Computing the women empowerment in agriculture index The Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is the first-ever measure to directly capture women's empowerment and inclusion levels in the agricultural sector, Mayson (2015)
5DE for Damot Gale Woreda shows that the empowered headcount ratio is 34.42 percent (1-H) among rural women
The findings revealed from this study were generalized to all rural women in the Woreda as follows; The conclusion is made for both statistically significant and insignificant variables as through binary logistic regression model as follows: woman empowerment in agriculture index (WEAI) score indicated that women farmers were empowered in 74% of the 5DE indicator

Summary

Introduction

Background of the study Women play an important role in agriculture, in Africa. Agriculture is a key driver of Ethiopia’s long-term growth and food security, where the vast majority of the population of the country (approximately 84 percent) depends on it as a source of livelihood and shares substantial proportion of the total GDP of the country (CSA, 2014/15). The sector is dominated by mixed farming where crops and livestock play major roles in serving dual purposes for domestic consumption and foreign currency earnings. Agriculture contributes about 50% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 90% of the national export earnings. Agriculture is the leading source of foreign exchange earnings, the sector is dominated by traditional subsistence and cultural perception of abundant human labor (IFPRI, 2010)

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