Implications of Gender Roles on Gender Relations, Equality on Family affairs and Opportunities for Women in Horticultural farming, Doreni District, Illu Abbabor Zone of Oromia Region.

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.