Factors Affecting Women's Participation in Soil & Water Conservation in Abeshege District southern Ethiopia

Abstract Background The primary industry in Ethiopia that makes a significant contribution to economic growth is still agriculture. Despite making a considerable contribution to livelihoods, the sector continues to encounter difficulties since soil degradation and resource depletion have decreased crop and livestock yield. To curb the effects of land degradation, the Ethiopian government has taken serious measures to expand soil and water conservation (SWC) practices across the country. Despite the efforts made, the participation of women in SWC activities has been low. The study was conducted to investigate women's participation in soil and water conservation practices in the Abeshege district of central Ethiopia. A random sampling procedure was used to select 164 participating and 70 non-participating households from a carefully selected sample of six rural kebeles. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources using interview designs, focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, discussions with key informants, and observation. Results Key results showed that a variety of demographic, economic, and institutional factors significantly influenced women's participation in SWC. In this study, I found that education, family size, property size, income level, and contact with extension workers were the most important predictors of women's participation in SWC. Conclusions In general, I concluded that women's participation in SWC should be increased through a concerted effort by consultants, local government, and other relevant non-governmental actors. In particular, the counseling system should encourage women's participation in SWC. In addition, the need to create learning opportunities by facilitating appropriate education and training programs for women's participation in SWC should be stressed.