Rural Women’s Participation in Forest Management: In Meta Robi District Western Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Rural Women’s Participation in Forest Management has been noted to be a core problem confronting many farming households in many rural areas of Ethiopia. The general objective of the study was to assess rural women’s participation in forest management in Meta Robi Woreda. Both primary and secondary data collection techniques were used for this study. For the questionnaire survey, a total of 118 sample respondents were randomly selected using Kothari formula and sample households were selected by using systematic sampling techniques. Participants of focus group discussion and key informants interview were held purposively to collect qualitative data. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were employed for the study. Qualitative data were analyzed through descriptions and interpretations whereas quantitative data we reanalyzed through descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and binary logistic regression method. The findings of the study revealed that certain demographic and socioeconomic characteristic of rural women significantly influenced their rural women’s participation in forest management: in the study area. The study also described that increasing demand rural women’s participation in forest management in study area. The binary logistic regression model results also indicated that factors such as, family size, educational status and marital status of respondents were statistically significant determinants of rural women’s participation in forest management. The study recommended that increasing environmental education, application of family planning program, diversification of income generation, application of modern farming system, technology and alternative rural women’s participation in forest management in the study area.