The Impact of Women's Education in the Fight Against Poverty: The Case of Jijiga Zone
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of women '5 education in the
fight against poverty in Ethiopian context. The target population was literate
and illiterate women born and living in Jijiga zone of the Somali Regional State.
The first group includes those women who at least completed the first cycle of
primary education given in formal schools and are living and working in the
zone. However, the second group was those illiterate women born and living in
the zone. Based on Lypse 's power analysis of sample size table, a total of 200
women, 100 from each group with significance level of p ~ O. 05, power criteria
of about 0.95, and effect size of 0.5 was drawn from randomly selected two
woredos of the zone. In addition, a total of 3 schools, that is, 2 from among 6
schools in Jijiga. and 1 from 2 schoolsIrom Babile were also randomly selected
as samples for school based data on drop out and repeater children in the zone.
Data was interpreted using bivariate statistical analyses. The results show that
literate and illiterate women differed to statistically significant extent in their
level of participation in community groups and decision making positions, as
well as in the extent of their control over house hold income in favor of the
former. The number of school drop out and repeater children who have
illiterate mothers are also reported to be greater than those who have .iterate
mothers. Other than academic differences, the difference between literate and
illiterate women was found to be a function of their differences in access to
media! information and their perception on the extent of effect of early marriage
and circumcision on women and girls. Their perception on the extent of effect of
early marriage and circumcision also significantly differ in favor of the literate
women. However, no variation was found in perceiving higher reproductive
and domestic work of women, and unequal gender relations between male and
females within households as factors affecting women and girls in the society.
Implications of the findings for planners, administrators and policy makers are
discussed.
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Women's Education in the Fight Against Poverty