Factors Affecting Rural Women Land Ownership in the Case of Boloso, Sore District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study analyzed the rural land ownership pattern by women and factors affecting the ownership rural land in the study area. The study used 95 sample households which collected from four kebeles. To attain the stated objectives of the study we used both descriptive and Econometric model analysis i.e. binary logit model. The study investigated the ownership ratio indicating the ratio of number of respondents (Female headed or wife of male headed) having land ownership (lease) right to the total number of respondents interviewed / belonging to a particular sub-group. A total of 95 household heads were considered in this study. Out of which 43 (45%) were female headed and the remaining 52 (55%) were wife of male headed. The Female headed households’ ownership of land was 0.62 (62%) and the wife of male headed households’ ownership ratio of land was 0.34 (34%). Overall ownership of sampled households was 0.47 (47%). The results demonstrated the limited ownership of land operated by the women households. Almost all the households depended on agriculture, deriving their livelihoods out of the land, without even owning the land. Those who did not own the land in their names were just operating the land accessed through relationship with the owners. Thirty eight percent of female headed households were mere operators without land ownership. As per constitutional law, death of husbands entitles the wives to own the land owned by the deceased husband. The investigation revealed that in practice the law is not put into practice. The binary logit regression result shows that out of 8variables included in this study to determine the influence of explanatory variable on probability of owning and controlling rural land 5 variables were found significant at 1 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent level. Among the significant variables family income, age, marital status/headship and land size positively affect the probability of owning and controlling land by women’s.  On the other hand family size negatively affects the probability of owning and controlling of rural land by women’s.

Keywords : Women land ownership, Binary Logit Model.