Annotation 2_Impact of gender inequality in socio-economic development: The case of women in Ethiopia,

Dula, T. (2019) “Impact of gender inequality in socio-economic development: The case of women in Ethiopia,” Developing Country Studies, 9(11). 

The aim of the study was to review the impact of gender inequality on the socio-economic

development of women in Ethiopia. This was  examined in relation to labour division and decision-making patterns. The author made the case that because of the disparity in power between men and women, there are defined  gender and social roles, and socially acceptable traits and behaviours. This argument was supported by evidence showing how women’s choices about the division of time between paid and unpaid, household and productive activities are severely constrained in rural societies because of rigid socially sanctioned gender roles which makes women time poor.

Religious convictions and social norms dictate that unpaid domestic  activities like gathering water, caring for children, cooking, and washing clothes are the domain of female members of the household. These were listed in the paper as additional factors that contribute to women’s inequality. Women typically work at home or very close to the house, taking care of household maintenance as well as small-scale production and trading. Because men cannot replace women’s labour in the home, this restricts women’s options for accessing paid employment. 

Another finding from the review was that women living in households headed by men are also vulnerable to poverty because they often lack access to financial resources and are dependent on their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons for support. In addition, even in the absence of cultural barriers, time poverty prevents women from taking advantage of employment opportunities that require moving away from their rural homes or travelling long distances.

The paper concluded that the beliefs  that caused women to be less equal than men were  primarily based on a socially constructed, gender biased outlook. Although it may seem impossible to change, the behaviour change required of both men, women, and the community, was something that needed to receive better attention. 

The final recommendation made in the paper was that since both men and women participate in farming and other activities to support their families, they should have equal access to control over resources and benefits based on the roles they play.  The author did not  specify the ways this could  be achieved. The paper’s value is limited, despite being recently published because the author failed to mention the methodology used to analyse the problems and relied on outdated sources to back up their arguments. Instead, the author needs to use current research on the problems mentioned.