Findings from a Study on Gender matters in Farm Power in Ethiopia

1. Gender Matters in Farm PowerStakeholder WorkshopAddis Ababa, October 9 2014

2. Data Collection
•Asella -Xiyo woreda
•Dosha and Haro Bilallo Kebele
•Hawassa –Hawassa Zuria woreda
•Dore Bafano and Jara Gollolcha Kebele
•Household types
•8 MHH
•4 FHHWAML
•4 FHHWOAML
•4 Hired Laborers (male)
•6 Key informants
•Focus group discussion

3. Key insights
MAIZE
•A major crop in Hawassa zuria
•New and grown homestead in Asella
•Women play major role in maize farming in both area
•Most labor intensive activity in maize farming
•Hawassa –weeding, harvesting and processing
•Asella –weeding and threshing
•Major source of income for households and laborers in Hawassa but not in Asella
•Mainly sold by men in Hawassa and by women in Asella
•Losing ground as compared to soybean recently in Hawassa

4. Key insights
Land Ownership
•Asella-women can own and inherit land
•Hawassa–women can inherit land but the practice is different
DIVISION OF LABOR
“ሴትናሰፌድአይቀመጡም“
“A woman and a sorter should never take rest”
•Agriculture -blurred in Hawassa, clearer distinction in other activities such as household chores,
•Women are seen to have supporting roles in agriculture
•All agree women are multi-tasking, busy and sleep less …

5. Key insghts
IMPLICATION ON THE GIRL CHILD
•Feel it is difficult to attain their dreams because of lack of focus on education
•Work more as compared to their brothers
•Less focus on girls education in Hawassa as compared to Asella
•Hawassa at least one girl has dropped out from school (in FHHWOAML)
•Girls (both daughters and domestic helpers attend school) in Asella

6. Key insight
VALUE TOWARDS WOMEN’s TIME AND ROLE
•Women’s labor is taken for granted and not valued
•Considered small and insignificant even by women themselves,
•No recognition towards women’s labor needs and interests
•Women’s labor needs are not discussed without negative consequence, (implication on demand articulation)
•Women are dependent and have little decision making and influencing power

7. Key insight
Source of Power
Source of power is human muscle and animal draft
No experience with machineries in both areas (expression of interest rather than experience for different reasons, inclusing land size, availabity, topography, the varity of crops grown in samll land …
Options
•Hiring labor (both agricultural and domestic helpers (mainly in Asella) besides all the family including children to involve in agriculture,
•Having more children and hiring labor in Hawassa Zuria
•High interest (if perform multiple tasks, affordable, generates income (if individually owned)…)
•The machine would not be fed, no need to protect it from wild animals … there is no need to brew “arekie” (Asella)

8. Cracks in the system
•Women are plowing
•More accepted in Hawassa
•Less accepted in Asella
•Some making decisions and handling their affairs independently
•Men started to involve in some household chores such as fetching water
•Women mostly “informed” about decisions, but some discuss but not without resistance from community
•women sacrificing to educate their girl children (Asella)
•Windows of opportunities, that the culture progress …

9. Cracks in the system
•WFP and Sasakawa Global on (mechanization, women group, community dialogue … in Hawassa Zuria and Borcha
•WCYAO promotes appropriate technologies.
•Promotion of agricultural mechanization focus on mainly male farmers

10. Conclusion
•Major income generating crops and resources are owned and decided by men,
•Women’s role and responsibility are taken for granted
•No recognition on women’s labor needs and interests and little discussion on the same.
•Women are taken as having supporting role in agriculture
•No space for women to articulate their labor needs or interest