Assessment of the Gender Role in Agricultural Activities at Damota Kebele of Haramaya District, Eastern Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted to identify and assess the gender roles in agricultural activities in Damota Kebele of Haramaya district. 20 sample respondents out of this 10 women and 10 men were selected based on criteria’s settled. Both primary and secondary data were collected from respondents and Kebele administration office using in-depth interviews, personal observation and participatory discussion.  Open-ended questionnaire and checklist were employed to collect qualitative data.  Two day field trips were used to collect primary and secondary data. The collected data were analyzed through narrative description and interpretations of meaning and actions. The results and findings of study indicate that farmers were practicing mixed farming system with the experience of more than 15 years. Women access the lands of their husbands and their family land in the absence of male child in the family and in the presence of legal due to influenced by the culture of the area. Women were participating in crop production activities such seed preparation, sowing, weeding and marketing, but the rest of actives were mainly executed by men household. Their roles were high in livestock production as compared to crop production; feeding, milking, dung clearance, management, marketing and others were major activities that women performed.  Shortage of land, overload of women activities, lack infrastructures, lack of access to extension service and cultural factors were major constraints hindered both women and men to execute their agricultural activities in productive manner. Women informal group and women group meeting were major opportunities of study area.  Awareness creation to community, agricultural intensification, rural infrastructure improvement, improved technologies and reducing workload of development agents and women are the major recommendation given by the study for government and responsible body.

Keywords: Gender, Role, Agriculture, Activities, Women, Men