Gender Dimensions of Sustainable Food Security at Household Level: The Case of two Selected Kebeles of Harari Region
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Date
2008-07
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Addis Abeba university
Abstract
In recent years there has been increased recognition of the crucial importance of
women's contribution to food security. The roles of rural women in sustaining the
livelihood of the family and food security at national level are also noted high. In
this regard this study assessed the issue of Gender Dimensions' of Sustainable
Food Security at household level. The case of two selected kebeles of Harari
Region. On tep of that the study out lined a general objective which is stated as
-to assess the various dimensions of gender and its contributions towards the
attainment of sustainably food secured communities at household level In
Ulanual and Kile kebeles of the Harari region.
To brie-fly assess the above objective, the study persued three major data
gathering methods one after the other. Survey using questionnaires, focus group
discussion and a key informant interviews. The sample survey was carried out
in Ulanula and kile rural kebeles. The main reason to select the two kebeles as
a study areas was because ' these kebeles were prone to draught and famine
in different years therefore a total of 120 sample households were selected from
the two kebeles in order to carry out the sample survey. Moreover two focus
groups discussions were held the first in Ulanula and the second in Kile rural
kebele with a group of knowledgeable people both men and women farmers so
that to easily check and clarify issues raised in the sample . survey. A key
infonnant interviews were also held to get in depth information on the issue.
Hence, the result of the survey reveals that even in the prevalence of gender
disparity in the community, women are .still central and very important figures for
a household to have continuous accesses to adequate and nutrient food either
through production or purchases sustainably. The study also reveals that
women contribute more incomes than men to the total income of the households.
moreover the study verify that women in the sampled households spend almost
all of (heir individual incomes on staple and non staple food purchases while
men spend more than half of their income on personal needs. On the other
hand, the study identifies ~everal factors that affect women's roles in the
household food security such as, lack of control over the household productive
resources, the ability of the women to make necessary decision over household
income found to be very less further more, the absence of facilities such as
health and shortage of water are the most commonly cited problems. Under all
these circumstances the study once again reveals that in every aspect of the
household food economy activities women play more roles than men.
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Keywords
Dimensions of Sustainable Food