Determinants of Rural Women Participation in Farm Management Decision Making Activities: The Case of Derashe Woreda

Though women have played a major role in rural households, they have not been given much power in the decision making process in intra-household farm management. The study was carried out with the objective to find out the factors affecting rural women's participation in farm management decision making process in Derashe Woreda, Segen Area Peoples Zone. The study was followed a multi-stage sampling procedure. Employing multi-stage sampling technique 183 households were interviewed to gather data. Primary quantitative data were collected using interview schedule through face- to-face interview whereas qualitative data were collected through key informant interview and focus group discussion. Descriptive, inferential and econometric analyses were carried out. the computed independent t-test for the mean income difference was statistically significant among rural women decision in participation of farm management activities, from the eleven explanatory variables entered into the model, six variables were found to be significantly determining rural women decision in participation of farm management in the study area at less than 1, and 5 percent probability levels. these are education level of the household head, land size, contact to development agent, access to media, access to training and religion significantly and positively affects rural women decision in participation of farm management activities while age, family size, access to credit, land certification and cooperative membership affects negatively and significantly women decision in participation of farm management less than 1 and 5 per cent probability levels respectively. the findings of the study are likely to be important to agricultural institutions, governments and NGOs in designing policy to empower rural women socially and economically. This study makes the valuable contribution by providing a base to the agricultural institutions for strengthening and expanding their support to rural women.