Abstract:
Rural men and women have different access to productive resources which may hinder women’s
productivity and reduce their contributions to agriculture. This research was conducted to analyze
difference in agricultural productivity between male and female headed households in Yubdo district
of West Wollega Zone, Oromia National Regional State. The study used cross-sectional data that is
collected from a total of 150 sampled respondents. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics
and econometric model using Statistical Package for Social Science. Descriptive statistics such as
frequency, mean, percentage, standard deviation, minimum and maximum; and inferential statistics
such as t-test and chi-square were used to summarize and compare the information between the two
groups. Results of the study showed that male headed households own more of productive resources
such as land, livestock, labour and other agricultural inputs as compared to female headed
households. Additionally, Cobb-Douglas production function was used to estimate the productivity
difference in agriculture between male and female headed households. The result of the study
indicated that farm land, inorganic fertilizer, labour, number of oxen and number of extension
contact were statistically significant in influencing the productivity of male headed households while
farm land, inorganic fertilizer, labour, herbicide and improved were significant variables affecting
the productivity of female headed households. The comparison of the marginal value product with
the factor cost showed that both male and female headed households could increase productivity
using more labour and farm land. The agricultural productivity difference between male and female
headed households was about 70.84% in the study area. On the other hand, if female headed
households had equal access to the inputs as male headed households, gross value of the output
would be higher by 17.6% for female headed households. This may suggest that female headed
households would have been more productive than male headed households if they had equal access
to inputs as male headed households. Thus accessing female headed households to inputs that
increase the productivity of land, labour utilization, usage of herbicide; and introducing
technologies that reduce the time and energy of women is essential to improve the agricultural
productivity of women and the society as a whole
