Female Household Research Articles

Commercialization of teff growers and determinants in west Ethiopia: Double hurdle model analysis

Promoting commercialization of agricultural production is a cornerstone of the rural development strategies of Ethiopia and commercialization of smallholder farming is not yet adequate enough to enable farmers be profitable. This study was designed to analyze the smallholder farmers’ teff commercialization in Guduru District, Western Ethiopia. Two-stages sampling procedure was followed to select 154 teff producer farmers from four randomly selected kebeles. An interview schedule was used to collect household survey data during the 2016/2017 farming season. The Household Commercialization Index was used to assess the levels of market participation. Double Hurdle Model was used to identify the key factors that influence farmers’ teff commercialization. The results revealed that about 78% of sampled farmers sold teff during a production year of 2016/2017. The model result indicated that education of household head, family size, land holding size, land allocated to teff, farm output, participation in off/non-farm activities, lagged teff market price, access to market information and cooperative membership were found to significantly influence the probability of participation in teff output market. Intensity of participation in the teff output market was significantly determined by sex of household head, age of household head, family size, family labor and distance to the nearest market. Based on the findings, the study recommends that government should give emphasize on rural education system, family planning program, productivity improving measures, access to communication facilities and institutional services, enhance the female headed households and improving rural roads.

Social dimension of food poverty of female-headed households after Covid-19 and economic crisis in Sri Lanka

The economic crisis in early 2022 in Sri Lanka has had a massive negative impact on the social and economic life of female-headed households in the country. In particular, food poverty affects many families. This study was conducted to investigate the food consumption patterns of female-headed households after the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Female headed households in five Divisional Secretariat Division of Ampara District were selected as the study sample based on purposive sampling techniques. Qualitative research methodology was used. In-depth interview and focused group discussion were used as primary data collection tools. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis method. The study found that after the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, there was a massive decline in food consumption, quality of food consumed and quantity of food consumed by female-headed households. Most female-headed households consume food only to satisfy hunger. Very small households have maintained the quality of food consumption, which has put them in debt. Traditional food consumption practices have changed and new food habits have emerged in certain families. The study suggests that the prevalence of food poverty among female-headed households should be addressed immediately and alternative programs should be designed to improve their condition.

Social Security for Female Headed Households to Responses Covid-19 in Indonesia and Philippines

This research examines a comparison of Philippines and Indonesian approaches to integrating a gender perspective in social protection programs. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, gender-responsive social protection has become even more important to address gender inequality which has been exacerbated by this crisis. The results of the study show that the Philippines has taken a more advanced step in paying attention to a gender perspective in social protection programs. They have launched clear policies and initiatives to ensure that women receive appropriate protection and appropriate services. On the other hand, Indonesia is still facing challenges in comprehensively integrating a gender perspective into social protection programs. This study provides insights and recommendations for both countries in implementing social protection programs that are sustainable and inclusive, with a focus on empowering women and overcoming gender inequality during the pandemic and in the future.

"We are invisible to them"-Identifying the most vulnerable groups in humanitarian crises during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Rohingyas and the Host communities of Cox's Bazar.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on the Rohingya and the Bangladeshi host communities, which have been well documented in the literature. However, the specific groups of people rendered most vulnerable and marginalized during the pandemic have not been studied comprehensively. This paper draws on data to identify the most vulnerable groups of people within the Rohingya and the host communities of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed a systematic sequential method to identify the most vulnerable groups in the context of Rohingya and Host communities of Cox's Bazar. We conducted a rapid literature review (n = 14 articles) to list down Most vulnerable groups (MVGs) in the studied contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic and conducted four (04) group sessions with humanitarian providers and relevant stakeholders in a research design workshop to refine the list. We also conducted field visits to both communities and interviewed community people using In-depth interviews (n = 16), Key-informant Interviews (n = 8), and several informal discussions to identify the most vulnerable groups within them and their social drivers of vulnerabilities. Based on the feedback received from the community, we finalized our MVGs criteria. The data collection commenced from November 2020 to March 2021. Informed consent was sought from all participants, and ethical clearance for this study was obtained from the IRB of BRAC JPGSPH. The most vulnerable groups identified in this study were: single female household heads, pregnant and lactating mothers, persons with disability, older adults, and adolescents. Our analysis also found some factors that may determine the different levels of vulnerabilities and risks faced by some groups more than others in the Rohingya and host communities during the pandemic. Some of these factors include economic constraints, gender norms, food security, social safety-security, psychosocial well-being, access to healthcare services, mobility, dependency, and a sudden halt in education. One of the most significant impacts of COVID-19 was the loss of earning sources, especially for the already economically vulnerable; this had far-reaching consequences on individuals' food security and food consumption. Across the communities, it was found that the economically most affected group was single female household heads. The elderly and pregnant and lactating mothers face challenges seeking health services due to their restricted mobility and dependency on other family members. Persons living with disabilities from both contexts reported feelings of inadequacy in their families, exacerbated during the pandemic. Additionally, the shutdown in the formal education, and informal learning centres in both communities had the most significant impact on the adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. This study identifies the most vulnerable groups and their vulnerabilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Rohingya and Host communities of Cox's Bazar. The reasons behind their vulnerabilities are intersectional and represent deeply embedded patriarchal norms that exist in both communities. The findings are essential for the humanitarian aid agencies and policymakers for evidence-based decision-making and service provisions for addressing the vulnerabilities of the most vulnerable groups.

Changes in Subjective Well-Being in India

Despite the growing literature on subjective well-being (SWB), few studies have focused on developing countries. Applying robust OLS and ordered probit models to the India Human Development Survey panel data in 2005 and 2012, we empirically assess SWB changes in 2005–2012, based on a self-reported measure of changes in economic well-being, as a function of household and state covariates in 2005. This is in sharp contrast with earlier studies’ focus on the levels of SWB. Another point of departure of our study is to compare the covariates of SWB changes with those of objective well-being (OWB) changes, proxied by the relative growth in real per capita household consumption expenditure between 2005 and 2012, to identify specific micro-level correlates of SWB changes. Households with an older and educated head in a larger household, located in urban areas or affluent states in 2005 tend to experience improvement in both SWB and OWB between 2005 and 2012. In contrast, households with a female household head, with more male members in the labour market, with regular access to mass media, without members suffering from non-communicable diseases or disabilities are more likely to be better off subjectively without experiencing the corresponding improvement in OWB. The policy challenges raise serious concerns.

Individual and community level predictors of women’s autonomy in health care decision-making among youth in East African countries: a multilevel analysis

ObjectiveThe autonomy of young women in healthcare decision-making has been reported to be lower, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. This study was conducted to estimate the magnitude and the...

Strategi Penghidupan dengan Perspektif Gender pada Rumah Tangga Nelayan Buruh di Kelurahan Kangkung, Lampung

­­The livelihood of fishing laborers’ household rely on seasonal fluctuation of fish catchment and limited livelihood resources. To fulfill their daily needs they strategize by working on various income-generating activities that involve both male and female family members. The purpose of this study are to identify the livelihood resources of male and female household members, to describe the livelihood strategies among labor fisherman households, and to analyze the relationship between livelihood resources and livelihood strategies of fishing laborers households. This research used a combination of qualitative observations and in-depth interviews with a quantitative approach using a questionnaire (mixed method). The results of the study show that the most important livelihood resources for the fishing laborers households is social resources. The most utilized forms of strategy are the intensification and extensification of fishing-related activities, with men extending their time at sea whereas women borrow money from cooperative or moneylenders. All forms of livelihood resources significantly related to the livelihood strategies carried out by labor fishermen households.

Economic impact of COVID-19 on income and use of livelihoods related coping mechanisms in Chad

IntroductionImpacts of the economic slowdown due to COVID-19 were prevalent in SubSaharan African countries. Using four nationally representative surveys collected in 2020 (rural n = 13,208; urban n = 1736) and 2021 (n = 14,730; n = 2,231), this secondary analysis evaluates economic impacts of the pandemic on household income and use of livelihoods-related coping mechanisms in Chad.MethodsUnivariate and multivariate regression, accounting for the survey design and sampling weights, was used to examine risk factors for reported income reduction and coping mechanism use and the associations with food expenditures and food security.ResultsThe economic impact of COVID-19 was greater in urban areas than rural areas in 2020 with improvement in urban areas and deterioration in rural areas in 2021. The reported income reduction was associated with female and unmarried household heads, living in the Saharan zone, and in rural areas, non-agricultural income sources. In urban areas, having skilled/unskilled labor as the primary income source was protective. Risk factors for the adoption of livelihoods-related coping mechanisms were similar to those of income reduction, with findings related to poor living conditions. Income reduction due to COVID-19 was associated with the use of stress and crisis coping strategies and lower household expenditure in both years and poor food consumption in rural areas in 2020.DiscussionThis study elucidates the potential impact pathways of COVID-19 from a household economic downturn to limited food spending, poor food consumption, and increased use of coping mechanisms. Findings are relevant for informing the targeting of assistance in future economic shocks and suggest prioritizing socioeconomically vulnerable households.

Food insecurity experience during climate shock periods and farmers’ aspiration in Ethiopia

Research on climate change impact focuses on biophysical and economic dimensions. This paper seeks to unveil the association between smallholder farmers' food insecurity experience (FIE) during climate shock periods and their subsequent aspiration level. To this end, our analysis relied on data collected in rural Ethiopia following an unprecedented climate shock the country faced in 2016. We measured food insecurity (FI) using the food insecurity experience scale module (FIES-M) while households' aspirations were captured using an aggregated index measured in four dimensions: asset, income, children's education, and social status. We use both descriptive analysis and multinomial models to portray the association between FIE and aspiration. The majority of the respondents (67%) faced FI in varied severity: mild, moderate, and severe. The self-reported food gap months during the shock period ranges between 0 and 9 months. Among individuals reporting a food gap, around 80% faced three or more months. The average farmer had an aspiration level of 0.0042. Aspiration was associated with the socioeconomic realities of individuals. Educated, males, households with higher dependency ratio, income, and livestock had higher aspiration levels. Aspiration also varied with the severity of food insecurity individuals experienced. Farmers who experienced severe FI during the shock period had lower aspiration levels. A one-month food gap was associated with a decrease in 0.023 standard deviations in aspiration. The association between FI and aspiration level remains true even after controlling for the socioeconomic covariates of aspiration. There is gender disparity in the severity of FIE and aspiration of households during the shock period. However, this was not true when male headed and female headed households are equal in education, income, and asset holdings. In summary, in addition to the resource-related impact, climate shocks may influence the future oriented behavior of farmers. Further research based on longitudinal data is necessary to capture the dynamic nature of aspiration formation and reformation in relation to FIE during climate shock periods.

The Making of a “Lost Generation”: Child Labor among Syrian Refugees in Turkey

Millions of children are forcibly displaced worldwide due to wars, civil conflicts, and natural disasters. Displacement disrupts the lives of children making child labor a serious risk. However, little is known about this topic due to the difficulty of finding datasets for this population. In this study, we use a large representative dataset of Syrian refugees in Turkey, the largest refugee group in any single country, to examine the incidence of child labor and its determinants. The incidence of paid work is remarkably high among boys: 18.8 percent of 12–14 year-olds and 48.0 percent of 15–17 year-olds are in paid employment. These percentages are considerably higher than the corresponding values we estimate for pre-war Syria at 7.6 percent and 29.0 percent, respectively. We find that children from poorer households with more dependents and younger, less educated, and female household heads and children living in industrialized regions of Turkey and originating from rural Syria are more likely to work. A key finding is that being older at arrival is highly associated with child labor. Difficulties with school integration, on the one hand, and availability of job opportunities, on the other, have created a group of young out-of-school children at work. Placing these children in vocational training that allows them to work while learning a trade under the scrutiny of the Ministry of Education may help protect their well-being.

Gender differences in spending on information and communication technology and transport fuel intensity: Evidence from Ghana

This study estimated the effects of spending on information and communication technology (ICT) on transport fuel intensity and examined how the effects of gender on transport fuel intensity depend on spending on ICT in expanding economies. It applied restricted dependent binary logistic regression to the Ghana Living Standards Survey of 14,009 households disaggregated into 4366 women’s and 9643 men’s households, respectively. The main findings were that ICT expenditures complement fuel intensity in transportation and that spending on ICT has a greater impact on the fuel intensity of transportation in urban households headed by women than in those headed by men. Additionally, the study revealed that households headed by men or women consume less fuel as their income increases, age has an effect on the fuel intensity of the male and full households but not the female households, and the fuel efficiency of female-headed households improved as family size increased. Finally, only female-headed households exhibit a significant correlation between transportation fuel intensity and job status. The original value of this paper is to show that reducing spending on ICT is much more desirable for reducing the intensity of transport fuel in a gender context in expanding urban economies.

Contribution of women labor to orange farmers income in tebas sub-district sambas regency

The role of women workers in horticultural farming is quite large. Women are not only housewives but also make a real contribution to farming activities and household income. This study aims to determine and analyze the outpouring of labor and the contribution of women’s income to citrus farmers in Tebas District, Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan. The method used in this research was a descriptive analytic method. Data analysis to determine the amount of labor and the amount of contribution by using quantitative analysis. Determination of the sample in this study using purposive sampling technique. Interviews were conducted on 40 female farmer households. The results of the study show that: (1) The labor force of women farmers for citrus farming is 85,97 HOK/MT, (2) The income of women farmers in citrus farming activities in Tebas District is Rp1.328.000/year, (3) Income women non farming in citrus farming activities is Rp1.205.000/year, 4) The contribution of women’s income to household income is 4,3%.

Gender disparity in livelihood diversification among rural households in Osogbo Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) Zone of Osun State, Nigeria

Livelihood diversification is a coping strategy that functions as a cushioning effect owing to dwindling income from agriculture. This study examined the significant differences in income between males and females before and after livelihood diversification. The multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select the respondents. Data were collected through the administration of well-structured questionnaires and were analyzed using both descriptive and multiple regression analyses. The mean annual income of male and female household heads before livelihood diversification was N195,200 ± 4,135 and N220,203 ± 5,300, respectively, while annual income after livelihood diversification averaged N206,195 ± 6,540 and N275,105 ± 4,100 for male and female, respectively. Age (p < 0.01) and years of formal education (p < 0.05) both had positive influence, and farm size (p < 0.01) which was negative were the determinants of livelihood diversification among males. The determinants of livelihood diversification of females were age (p < 0.05) which was negative, while positive factors included household size (p < 0.05), and access to credit (p < 0.01). It was concluded that livelihood diversification increased the earnings of the rural dwellers, with females earning higher marginal incomes than their male counterparts. The study, therefore, recommended that government policy focus on assistance for female rural dwellers in credit accessibility should be strengthened.

The Association of Caregivers' Socio-Economic Conditions with Family Caregiving Norms: Evidence from China.

Similar to her neighboring country, Japan, China faces significant difficulties in providing long-term care to the elderly. Female household members who traditionally provided necessary caregiving are no longer available as much as in the past due to the demographic and socioeconomic changes over the past few decades. Against this backdrop, we investigated how socioeconomic factors affect the perception of family caregiving norms in China, using an international comparative household dataset that allowed us to compare China with Japan, the latter being extensively investigated. We used ordered probit regression to estimate the model equation. Our results show that rural residency, household assets, and government dependency are positively associated with the perception of care. A notable difference from the Japanese results is that rural residents have a rather positive perception of family caregiving norms. Furthermore, urban-rural subsample analyses revealed that women in rural areas perceive caregiving negatively.

Review on Adoption of Improved Soya Bean Technologies: Empirical Evidence from Ethiopia

Soybean is a legume crop grown in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates which are used for food and animal feed. However, the production and productivity of soybean is low and improvement in production and productivity depends on the extent to which a household has applied the recommended production technologies. The review was aimed to identify the determinants of adoption and intensity of improved soybean varieties to generate information that helps to understand and evaluate the key challenges in Ethiopia. The review showed that sex of household, age of household head, education, farm experience, participation in training, and extension service affect the adoption of improved soya bean varieties positively and significantly while the distance to the nearest market affects adoption of improved soya bean varieties negatively and significantly. On the other hand, the intensity of adoption was affected by age, soya bean farm experience, participation in training, and size of livestock holding. Most of the studies reviewed in this paper indicated that sex has a significant positive impact on the adoption of improved soya bean varieties. However, the participation of female households in the adoption process indicated that 15% of female-headed households and dominated by 85% of male household heads. Therefore, to improve the adoption of modern agricultural technologies like improved soya beans the following recommendations are forwarded. Female-headed households should get emphasis in all activities of the promotion of new technologies. On the other hand, evidences showed that the huge oil factories in Ethiopia like W. A and BK are using soya bean as a major input to their production. Consequently, those industries demanding a higher amount of soya bean as an input and they are creating a backward linkage to smallholder soya bean producer farmers. For instance, W. A's edible oil factory alone needs 20,000 hectares of land to run the business and 500,000 quintals of soya bean requires per year. Therefore, it can improve smallholder farmers' livelihood by creating market opportunities to supply their products directly to factories. Thus, the promotion of new soya bean varieties, strong linkage between farmers and factories and comprehensive studies on the adoption and impact of soya bean should get attention from the regional and federal government of Ethiopia.

The Social Cultural Factors Influencing the Level of Adoption of Biogas as an Alternative Energy Source in Gakawa Location, Nyeri County, Kenya

Objective: This study examined the socio-cultural factors influencing the adoption of biogas as an alternative energy source among the small scale farmers in Gakawa location, Nyeri County. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive research design in order to emphasize the measurement and analysis of relationships between study variables, and to systematically describe the Social cultural factors influencing the Level of adoption of biogas as an alternative energy source in Gakawa Location, Nyeri County, Kenya. Multi stage sampling was used to sample 351 households not involved in the Biogas Technology Project (BGTP) and 71 households involved in the BGTP. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire consisting of both open ended and close ended questions. Also key informants such as the agricultural extension officers, heads of local cooperative dairy society and NGOs coordinators were interviewed to augment the results of the household respondents. Quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and results presented in frequency tables, while qualitative data was analysed by categorizing similar themes from the respondents and using them to augment the quantitative data. Results: This study has shown that socio-cultural factors can influence the uptake of biogas as an alternative energy source. For instance, households with higher levels of education were found to easily adopt biogas technology. Elderly people were more established and had fixed residence compared to younger people and thus were able to invest in expensive and permanent non-transferable projects like biogas technology. Female headed households tend to adopt the biogas technology as compared to their male counterparts. Finally, the results indicate that substitution of traditional sources of cooking, to more efficient household energy for the households, particularly in developing countries has not been adequately achieved. Conclusion: It is concluded that for the uptake of the biogas technology to be effective, social cultural factors of communities must be taken into account. Also there is need for more studies in developing countries that will generate more policies to help households to embrace more efficient technology.

To what extent has the Iranian Health Transformation Plan addressed inequality in healthcare financing in Iran?

BackgroundOne of the major goals of health systems is providing a financing strategy without inequality; this has a significant impact on people’s access to healthcare. The present study aimed to investigate the inequality in households’ financial contribution (HFC) to health expenditure both before and after the implementation of the Iranian Health Transformation Plan (HTP) in 2014.MethodsThis study is a secondary analysis of two waves of a national survey conducted in Iran. The data were collected from the Households Income and Expenditure Survey in 2013 and 2015. The research sample included 76,195 Iranian households. The inequality in households’ financial contributions to the health system was assessed using the Gini coefficient, and the concentration index (CI). In addition, by using econometric modeling, the relationship between the implementation of the HTP and inequality in HFC was studied. The households’ financial contribution included healthcare and health insurance prepayments.ResultsThe Gini coefficient values were 0.67 and 0.65 in 2013 and 2015, respectively, indicating a medium degree of inequality in HFC in both years. The CI values were 0.54 and 0.56 in 2013 and 2015, respectively, suggesting that inequalities in HFC were in favor of higher income quintiles in the years before and after the implementation of the HTP. Regression analysis showed that households with a female head, with an unemployed head, or with a head having income without a job were contributing more to financing health expenditure. The presence of a household member over the age of 65 was associated with a higher level of HFC. The implementation of the HTP had a negative relationship with the HFC.ConclusionThe HTP, aiming to address inequality in the financing system, did not achieve the intended goal as expected. The implementation of the HTP neglected certain factors at the household level, such as the presence of family members older than the age of 65, a female household head, and unemployment. This resulted in a failure to reduce the inequality of the HFC. We suggest that, in the future, policymakers take into account factors at the household level to reduce inequality in the HFC.

Household dietary diversity across regions in Ethiopia: Evidence from Ethiopian socio-economic survey data.

Household food and nutrition insecurity continued to be a development and policy agenda in Ethiopia. Assessing the patterns and determinants of household dietary diversity is an important area of research given its importance for policy uptake in the country. This study is, therefore, initiated to identify the dominant food groups consumed by households and to investigate the determinants of household dietary diversity in the country. We used data from the 4th wave of the Ethiopian socioeconomic survey. The survey data for this study included 3,115 households living in rural areas (hereafter called 'rural households'). Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) was calculated and categorized as per the FAO's recommendation: low HDDS category for those who consume three or less food groups, medium HDDS for those who consume four to six, and high HDDS for those who consume seven and more food groups during the past seven days. Ordinal logistic regression model was employed to estimate the determinants of rural household's dietary diversity. Cereals were the most dominant food group consumed by 96.4% of the households followed by pulses, which was consumed by 82% of the households Nutrition-dense food commodities such as lean meat, vegetables and fruits were the least consumed food groups by households in Ethiopia. In terms of determinants of dietary diversity, female headed households have 38% more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to their male-headed counterparts (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.73). Household heads who completed secondary education and above have 62% more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to uneducated household heads (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.30). Household heads who are single have 37% less chance of consuming diverse foods compared to those household heads who are married (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.80). Those households located in Harari regional state and in the rural surroundings of Diredawa town have 6.56 times more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to those households living in Tigray and Amhara regional states (AOR = 6.56, 95% CI: 4.60, 9.37). The results also highlighted that households who are in the upper wealth category have 9 times more chance of consuming diverse foods compared to those households who are the lower wealth category (AOR = 8.54, 95% CI: 6.79, 11.98).

Abstract NG06: Investigating biological mediators of social and environmental risk factors on cancer health disparities

Abstract NG06: Investigating biological mediators of social and environmental risk factors on cancer health disparities

Employment Participation and Determinants of the Gender Wage Gap in the Head of the Household

The distortion model becomes a problem in development planning, including in the development goals of reducing discrimination and concerns. These two things are closely related to gender expectations on work participation. The purpose of this study was to estimate the gender pay gap at the work participation rate of household heads in Magelang during the Covid-19 pandemic. The analytical tools used are Probit regression and the decomposition of the Blinder-Oaxaca model. The model decomposes wage differentials by gender. The study uses the 2020 SAKERNAS data. The results show that work participation for male household heads is determined by the marginal effect of work experience, age and area of residence, not education level and number of family dependents, while female household heads are only determined because of the number factor. family responsibilities. Furthermore, the potential work experience of male household heads has a significant negative effect. Research findings from the Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition calculation show that the difference in wages between groups of household heads during the Covid 19 pandemic proved statistically significant. The role of the government is expected to be more active in disseminating policies related to gender in the labor market and exercising control over business actors in implementing labor regulations.