The Livelihoods of Women Headed Households in Amaro Woreda in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Women are essential to economic growth in developing countries. They play different
roles including productive works for earning income and food for the family. They
also engage in reproductive works which include food reproducing and preparing at
homes. In addition to this, they also play the reproduction role of bearing the labor
forces. However, they are not free from gender based discriminations which is
experienced since long time which is also seen in Ethiopia.
In Amaro woreda in particular, they also face many challenges. Traditionally, they do
not inherit land and other resources from their parents. They do not share properties
with their male spouses during divorce. The polygamous practice in the area results
in the division of the existing land or other properties among the wives of the
husband and this makes life difficult for those women who take the risk of heading
the household lonely. Above all, the area is currently hit by food insecurity problem
for which women are more vulnerable. Therefore, it was intended to study how the
women headed households earn their livelihoods aiming to analyze their livelihoods,
access to resources and their coping mechanisms to food insecurity.
To this end, two sample kebeles were selected systematically from Kolla and Woina
Dega agro- ecological zones on the basis of the information secured from the woreda
agriculture and rural development which showed the existence of high food insecurity
problem in these agro- ecological zones. Out of these kebeles, 60 each from each
kebele was selected representing 38% of the kebele’s total women headed
households and constituted a total of 120 sample women who were selected through
simple random sampling and provided the required data which were collected
through the house to house survey by distributing questionnaires, interviews,
application of focused group discussions and by analyzing written sources about the
woreda.
Then, analysis of data was followed and on the basis of this analysis, it was able to
come up with a number of findings which revealed the existence of many problems
which the women headed households face in association with their livelihoods.
These include livelihood and food insecurity, earning low income, less access to
institutional services and capitals, low level of participation, low infrastructure
coverage, disease, lack of labor support and others.
Finally, recommendations of the researcher follow which is expected to be presented
to the stakeholders so that they should work for solving the problems of the women
by creating alternative livelihood strategies which are not dependent on the changing
climate, and by improving food security, income levels, access to technologies,
capitals, institutions, and levels of participation of women and by improving
infrastructural provisions such as transport, pure and water supply
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Geography and Environmental Studies