The Role and Status of Women in the Food System of the Konso of Southwest Ethiopia
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This ethnographic field work was conducted from September 15 up to December 25
among the Konso of Southwest Ethiopia. The main objective of the study is to analyze
the role and status of women in the food system. With this aim, the study examines the
Konso social organization as a basis for investigating women's role in food production,
their access to scarce resources, role in food management and marketing, gender
differences in coping strategies, the pattern of food preferences, aversions and intrahousehold
food consumption and its impact on them.
The methods used to conduct the study include: participant observation, focus group
discussion, in-depth interviews with key informants, individual case studies, a structured
questionnaire and photography.
The finding of this study reveals that hoe-farming and oxen-drawn ploughing are the
dominant ways of farming although their relative importance differs from place to place.
Regardless of technological changes, women play a vital role in crop production. Hoeing,
manuring, planting, weeding, harvesting and crop transportation are the major
agricultural activities carried out by women. The tasks conducted by men are ploughing
with oxen, terracing, house and granary construction, honey processing and cattle
herding.
Though women undertake more work, the tasks of men are often considered of higher
value. The finding shows that in areas where the oxen-drawn plough is used, women's
role in production is lower as compared to hoe-farming village. This seems due to the
technological, social, cultural and economic changes that the Konso underwent.
The data show that despite women's important role in food production, they lack full
participation in grain management, marketing and decision-making regarding food
resources. With regard to food management, women have the right to take grain from the
granary only for daily household consumption. Therefore, women are less able to decide
not only over food grains in the granary, but also on processed foods. Goods of greater quantity, better quality and higher cash value are marketed by men while the others are
marketed by women. The marketing of even small amounts and low value assets take
place only with the decision of men. In addition to the lack of rights over food
management and marketing, women and children are more likely to be vulnerable during
food-insecurity as compared to men.
The study shows that despite women's significant role in food production, they have very
limited access to scarce household economic resources. The denial of women's rights to
resources emerges from women's marginal status in Konso society due to maledominated
inheritance system that prevents women's access to scarce resources and
gender ideology that considers men to be superior by birth. The deprivation of their rights
to resources is also reflected in the consumption of food. Thus, almost all protein-rich
foods are consumed by men, which leave women deficient in protein. In general, the
strong position men hold socially, economically and politically has limited women's
access to and control over resources
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Social Anthropology