The Determinants of Vulnerability to Poverty Among Female Headed Households in Rural Ethiopia: The Case of West Arsi Zone, Shashemene District

Abstract

Women are the ones that suffer the most from poverty around the world. The determinants of poverty vulnerability among female-headed households in Shashamane district are investigated in this study. In West Arsi Zone, Shashemene district, the study's goals were to assess poverty indicators, poverty levels, and how female-headed households cope with poverty. Mixed methods were employed in this study, with data coming from both primary and secondary sources. A total of 220 people were polled using the simple random sampling approach. A Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) technique was used to establish the total poverty line, and the major data for the study was acquired using structured questioners. The logit regression model and odd ratio analysis were used to analyze the poverty index descriptive statistics. 89 (40.45 percent) of the 220 surveyed household heads were determined to be poor. The results of the logistic regression demonstrate that the household's head's education, age, house ownership, income, and household size are all important factors of the household's susceptibility. Interventions should aim to improve or initiate alternative income generating activities to increase the real income of households through well-paying and better job creation through the establishment of micro and small scale enterprises, and improving the use of family planning with increased economic and social infrastructure to reduce the vulnerability of female headed households. As a result, stakeholder interventions to address the determinant factors are important measures to take, as is strengthening economically and environmentally sustainable coping strategies.