The Impacts of Women Economic empowerment in Agriculture on vulnerability to food insecurity in Tarcha Zuria district of Dawro Zone in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Women play a major role in ensuring households ‘wellbeing in most rural areas of developing countries, thus their active and equal participation with men in any development strategies, policies, and other related goals realize economic growth and they have an important role in the reduction of vulnerability to food insecurity. The main objective of this study was to examine the impacts of women's economic empowerment in agriculture on vulnerability to food insecurity in the Tarcha Zuria district. A two-stage sampling survey was used to determine the targeted sample size (n=220) by selecting randomly from four sampled kebeles by using Kothari (2004) statistical formula. The study mainly used a cross-section research design by collecting necessary primary data from respondents through predetermined questionnaires and interviews. The study developed a methodology to measure the women empowerment index in agriculture by using the empowerment index (WEAI) which comprises five main domains of empowerment of women in agriculture. A result revealed that the majority (84.4 %) of a woman included in this study are empowered in agricultural sectors and active participation in production was dominant dimensions of women ‘s economic empowerment that is it highly explained the other domains in the model. The households ‘vulnerability status had been determined by calculating mean household food expenditure per adult in birr that is used to determine the current food security status of a household. The binary logistic model was used to determine the factors of women ‘s empowerment in agriculture ‘that reduce a household ‘s vulnerability to food insecurity. The income of women, non-farm activities, education level of women, and cultivated farmland have a negative and statistically significant impact that show higher levels of income, non-farm activities, education, the cultivated farm, and aggregate empowerment reduce the probability of likelihood of a female-headed household becoming vulnerable to food insecurity in the future. Family size and dependency ratio are positively significant that indicate households with larger family size and dependency ratio were more likely to be vulnerable to food insecurity than lower family members and less dependency ratio. Finally, it was recommended that government and other responsible bodies should encourage women to actively participate in productivity activities and assist them to acquire basic training in the use of irrigation systems. The study ought to be of significance to the community, next researchers, and the body of knowledge, policy makers, and other concerned bodies.