Gender Roles in Agricultural Production and Decision-Making Power in Smallholder Farmers in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Agricultural production in Ethiopia is predominantly undertaken on smallholder individual and family managed farms as well as is resource poor farmers who produce 90–95% of all cereals, oil seeds and other crops. This smallholder farmer is unable to feed the fast growing population and unable to reduce the dependence on food aid. This study therefore was conducted in order to understand the socio-economic factors that determine their decision for the adoption of agricultural technology.

In conducting this research, both primary and secondary data were collected. Primary data were collected from the total sample size of 392 female and male-headed household farmers in the study area. Apart from the household survey, qualitative data were collected from 160 respondents by using participatory research methods. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select female and male-headed household farmers from the study populations. The collected data were analysed descriptively and logistic regression model as well as SPSS 20.0 computer software.

The main finding of logistic regression shows that educational status, land size, total livestock owned, access to extension services, and credit services availability were statistically significant variables and affect both household heads decision for adopting new agricultural technology. Understanding these factors, it's important for policy makers and developers of new technology to understand farmers need as well as their ability to adopt technology in order to come up with technology that will suit them. On the other hand, national agricultural plans and policies should be based on detailed gender analyses that acknowledge the existing gender differentials and layout strategies and detailed, actionable items to narrow such gaps.