Gobebo, Gizachew, Wondaferahu Mulugeta, and Temesgen Yaekob. 2017. ‘DETERMINANTS OF WOMEN UNEMPLOYMENT: EVIDENCE FROM ETHIOPIA (CASE OF HALABATOWN, SNNPR)’. International Journal of Development Research 7.
The article started with explaining how unemployment adversely affects women in the world. Unemployment is a global phenomenon and it severely affects the interests of women, particularly in the developing countries. According to the author, women constitute about half of the world’s population, but their employment rate is very low when compared with their male counterparts. Their employment is concentrated in low skill demanding and informal sectors, including unpaid agricultural work, food processing, street vending, sale of processed and semi processed agricultural products, and household domestic duties. They usually work for long hours, earn very minimal wages, and engage in dangerous work environments that do not suit their experience.
Women in Ethiopia are excluded from economic opportunities that could have given them an opportunity to alternative income generating activities. This is due to the cultural bias, un-participatory policy framework, and lack of business information. As a result, unemployment, and lack of economic sovereignty among Ethiopian women is becoming the gender dynamic in Ethiopia.
Regarding research methodology, the author has used stratified random sampling technique and 385 women were selected to participate in the study using this approach. SPSS and SAS software were used for data analysis along with the Logistic Regression Model.
The researcher found that marital status, educational level, family size, sex and exposure to media are a determining factor for women unemployment. Accordingly, age has a direct impact on the unemployability of women in Ethiopia. Accordingly, women between the age of 15-25 take the highest portion of unemployment whereas the least unemployment ratio is for women between the age of 26-34 accounting 34.9%. This shows that employment opportunities increase as the age of the women increases. Regarding marital status of unemployed women, the study indicated that married women were most affected by unemployment when compared with single women and divorced women. Coming to the family size on women unemployment, the study found that women with large family size were more than 1.095 times more likely to be unemployed when compared with women who had less family size. Education no doubt plays a determining role on women’s employability. According to this study, women who didn’t attend education are highly affected by unemployability when compared with women who have attended a certain educational level.
Generally, the author called for government intervention to alleviate challenges that inhibit women from accessing employment. Among this, the author argued that women with large family size are found to be less likely to be employed when compared with women with low family size. Accordingly, a family planning program should be supported and implemented with an aim of boosting women’s economic empowerment. Educational status has also proved to be affecting women employability. Women without educational certificates are found to be less employed when compared with women who have attended school. Accordingly the government shall focus on facilitating and supporting educational programs effectively.