Gender and Agricultural Production in Ethiopia: The Case of Gozamen Woreda, Amhara Region

Bassazenew, Anteneh (2008) Gender and Agricultural Production in Ethiopia: The Case of Gozamen Woreda, Amhara Region. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

Since recently, gender issues have drawn the attention of many scholars. As a result, there is an increasing interest to assess and investigate women’s place and role in society with the aim of devising a sound solution to the problems they encounter. The major objective of this study is to closely examine the contribution of wives in agricultural production and their access to and control over resources vis-à-vis their husbands in Gozamen woreda. To achieve the stated objective, a cross-sectional survey design was employed with a mixed approach of data collection and analysis. Both primary and secondary data were collected. These included both quantitative and qualitative data and information. The study employed a multi-stage sampling method to select sample kebeles and households. Since the woreda is naturally stratified into three agro-ecological zones, one kebele was purposively selected from each agro-ecology. Then, households having married couples were targeted for the study. To this end, 5% of sample households having married couples were drawn from each kebele. Accordingly, 37, 57 and 22 (a total of 116) households were selected from Yebokella Zuria, Wonqa, and Dessa Enesie kebeles, respectively through systematic random sampling technique. Survey questionnaire, key informant interview, FGDs and observation were major tools to collect primary data. Books, theses, journals, official documents and credible internet sources were also major sources of secondary data. By using the methodology described above, intra-household dynamics in gender division of labour and gender differential access to and control over resources were examined. The division of labour in domestic spheres is found to be rigid in most of household provisioning tasks while, in productive spheres, there found to be greater flexibility in sharing tasks. Nevertheless, rigid gender division of labour was found in some farm tasks like ploughing, sowing and applying fertilizer. Moreover, wives’ direct involvement in cutting and threshing was reported to be minimal. Their domestic work load, cultural norms and beliefs and women’s perception of themselves as “physically weak” were the major factors influencing them from involving in some farm activities. As far as access to and control over resources is concerned, the study found out that although land is presumably jointly owned by spouses, making decisions on how to use this critical resource is dominated by husbands. Wives’ access to and control over other resources considered in this study (like agricultural extension and credit services) was found to be minimal as compared to their spouses. In spite of their significant contribution, wives in the study area are not seen as farmers or at least not active farmers. The gender division of labour and the differential access to and control over resources are inversely related in the sense that women contribute more labour but enjoy less privilege in access to and control over resources vis-à-vis their husbands.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Divisions:	Africana
Depositing User:	Tim Khabala
Date Deposited:	24 May 2018 12:48
Last Modified:	24 May 2018 12:48
URI:	http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/4096

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