Abstract:
As of today the issue of gender is among leading agendas in third world. This is because of the
fact that gender inequality significantly hampers development of these country. On other hand, it
curtails women empowerment and a measures taken in sustaining food security in countries like
Ethiopia. This study was conducted with objective to shed light on how gender roles are formed
as a pre-condition for socially adopted inequalities between men and women. These inequalities
were delimited primarily to participation on productive and reproductive gender roles, decision
making and status of men and women households. The study also strived to show opportunities
available for women in horticulture farming. In doing so the study applied pragmatic
triangulation of quantitative and qualitative approaches as guiding methodology. The response of
282 survey respondents and 50 informants of qualitative data were computed in data analysis.
The analysis has followed a convergent design that combines descriptive and inferential
techniques with the themes emerging through qualitative explorations. Cross-tabulation
descriptive statistics, chi-square and Spearman Rho correlation were employed. The findings of
the research revealed that women considerably participate on productive and reproductive roles
but marginalized on decision making of crucial family resources for their own. In addition to this
they achieved low social status in contrast to men households. Opportunity of women in
horticulture productivity was seen as gender pressure freed zone. Yet, critical constraints are
there. Men significantly participate on some productive roles and decision making for themselves
on crucial family resources. They enjoy better status in society and low working hours. Unequal
decision making adversely affect livelihood of family by insisting misuse of family property then
led to family poverty. Thus, all potential bodies are recalled to play role in intervening the impacts
these gender inequality promulgate on livelihood of society.
