Factors influencing empowerment of rural women in farm households in Arsi Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Rural Ethiopian women play a critical yet under-documented role in farm production and household welfare, but entrenched socio-economic and cultural barriers persistently hinder their empowerment. This study examines the determinants of empowerment among 415 women farm households in Arsi Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, using a mixed-methods approach that combines the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), binary probit regression, structured surveys, and focus group discussions via multi-stage sampling (purposive selection of four districts, random selection of eight farmer associations, and stratification into microfinance participants and non-participants). Findings reveal that only 18% of women exceed the empowerment threshold, highlighting severe disempowerment driven by excessive workloads, lack of leisure time, limited social group involvement, and nervousness in public speaking a WEAI leadership indicator reflecting constrained agency amid cultural norms. Probit analysis identifies age, education, landholding size, livestock ownership, total assets, savings, aspirations, social capital, and dependency ratio as significant positive influencers, with education boosting empowerment probability by 19.2% and total assets by 30.9%. These results underscore the need for integrated, context-specific policies to enhance access to education, economic resources, and social networks, thereby fostering women's agency, inclusive rural development, and amplified agricultural contributions.