The Role of Productive Safety Net Programme in Empowering Women in Food Security the Case of Jamma Woreda, SouthWollo, Ethiopia
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Date
2010-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Ethiopia’s economy has been challenged by frequent food insecurity for decades as a result
of many interrelated environmental, socio-economic and political reasons. The increasing
severe food insecurity in recent years forced the Ethiopian government to develop the Food
Security Strategy (FSS) that could provide social protection for the rural community. Food
insecurity has a gender dimension. Women are the most vulnerable section of the society to
food insecurity as they lack adequate access to productive resources, services and less
participation decision making. The Strategy recognized the negative impacts of the existing
gender inequality in achieving food security. Therefore, one of the food security programs,
PSNP, is designed to address the gender disparities. The PSNP implementation manual
(PIM) sets out the framework for gender mainstreaming in the program. This study is an
assessment and evaluation based research that aimed at assessing the role of PSNP in
empowering women in food security by examining the implementation of the program in
Jamma Woreda of the Amhara Regional State. Qualitative and quantitative methods were
employed to generate and analyze data. Drawn through purposive and convenience
sampling techniques a total of 371 people participated in the study out of which 263 are in
the household survey, 45 in the interview and 63 in the focus group discussion. The result of
the research shows that PSNP has contributed in empowering women economically and in
social aspects of their life. Women equally contribute to their community development by
their participation in PW and able to generate income for their households. This in turn
brought them personal empowerment, community recognition and respect. However, on the
other hand the most important gender provisions have not been properly addressed in the implementation process. To attain the anticipated results of PSNP the implementers need to be trained on gender mainstreaming and be well informed about the content of the PIM. Revision of the PIM would be instrumental to clear some issues that have given loopholes for not implementing the provisions strictly. The monitoring and evaluation system need to be strengthened and include gender sensitive indicators
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Gender Studies