Gender, Agriculture and Food Security: Women’s Role in Realizing Food Security of the Family among Yayo District Farmers of Ilu Abba Bora, Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Qualitative research design has been employed to accomplish the objective of this study. To collect necessary data for this thesis ethnographic design have been used. Primary data was gathered through key informant interview, observation, and focus group discussion. To analyze the collected data through the above ethnographic methods the study involved inductive description and explanation about the vital roles of women in ensuring and maintaining the family food security in Yayo district. The main finding of this thesis is the study of the practical and potential roles of women in realizing food security of the family in small-scale rural agricultural activities. In the case of Yayo district, women perform ranges of activities categorized as productive, reproductive, and community or social role. Their activities range from household domestic work to undertaking farm tasks as a farmer. Despite of these roles they are ascribed to several socially constructed factors which undermines women role and attributes less acknowledgement for their vital roles. With this particular study, the researcher has assessed the roles of women from perspectives of anthropology. The principal roles of women range from household domestic activity to participation in farm tasks. However, their contribution has constrained by several factors which are originated from socio-cultural aspects. Family food security cannot be achievable without women contribution to agricultural food crop production. Most of food security issue is the concern of women in rural area even though the visible imbalanced workloads. Lastly, the discussion and interpretation of data was organized thematically