Heading Households and Heading Businesses: Women in the Urban Informal Sector in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

n,e s flldy was aimed at assessing female labour force panicipation il/ rhe urban
illformal sector wilh a view to reflecting 0 11 their roles ill heading households and
heading bus inesses. The target groups were women entrepreneurs runnillg
informal sector businesses in two tOWI/S of Gedeo Zone/ ill SNNPRII
. Using a
mliiti-stage sampling procedure relevant informatioll was collected /rom owners of
150 (90 from Dilla town alld 60 from YirgachejJe town) illformal sector premises.
The methods used to obtain the data ineluded housel/oM sun'e),s. per.wl/af
observations alld book and documelll review~·.
Tile results of the study reveal thai female -headed households are challenged by
the dual role of heading households alld heading bus inesses. Poor business
premises, IIIlSlable and inadequate income, alld other constraints related to access
to credit facilities. equipmem. market alld inpuls were obsen'ed.
The empirical analysis 0 11 Ihe determinants of level of /i)ling ami earnings
idelllified some factors of policy relevance. Most of the variables are sratistical/y
.~ ign ifica nt. 711l! slIIdy urges the need to develop strategies that empower womell
with regard to their ecollomic rights, assiglling (I value to their producti)le roles
alld subsistellce activities