Gender Division of Labor among Wives and Husbands in Agro-Pastoral Society: The case of Fafen, Somali Region
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Date
2010-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Gender division of labor is a Scio-cultural construction and assignment of tasks for
males and females. The very nature of gender division of labor is its variation across
cultures. Therefore, it needs specific attention in particular place to have a specific data
about who does what in that area.This study was conducted at Fafen (Golmorodi and
Ara-as), a kebelie from Gorsum woreda in Jigjiga zone (Somali Region).It was designed
to investigate what wives and husbands do in domestic chores; crop, vegetable and fruit,
as well as livestock productions; and selling of agricultural products. Besides, the study
was designed to see the influencing factors for the division of tasks among couples and
the role of wives and husbands for saving and managing the household income. Both
quantitative and qualitative research designs were used. Hundred respondents (fifty
wives and fifty husbands) were taken as a sample from the total population of one
thousand. Ten couples (five wives and five husbands) were taken for in-depth interview
from those who responded to the questionnaires. The selection of the respondents has
been done using simple random sampling technique. Besides, three key informants were
taken for in depth interview through purposive sampling technique. Structured interview
was employed for collecting the data from questionnaire respondents. The finding
indicated that wives perform all tasks in household chores, selling of agricultural
products and saving and managing the income of the household. They also perform most
of the tasks in livestock production; whereas, the participation of husbands in livestock
production is less. On the contrary, husbands accomplish most of the tasks in crop
production, however, wives also accomplish tasks alone and together with their husbands
in this production; and both wives and husbands carry out tasks in vegetable and fruit
productions. The finding depicted the variation of the participation of couples across
crops, vegetables, fruits and tasks in these items and wives of the study area were
overburdened with multiple tasks. Factors that sway the division of tasks among couples
were interrelated and mainly emanate from the culture of the study area. Hence, there is
a need to ease the burden of the wives in the study area through creating awareness for
society in general and husbands in particular to share the above mentioned tasks
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Gender Studies