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

The study was aimed at assessing female labour force participation in the urban informal sector with a view to reflecting on their roles in heading households and heading businesses. The target groups were women entrepreneurs running informal sector businesses in two towns of Gedeo Zonei in SNNPRii. Using a multi-stage sampling procedure relevant information was collected from owners of 150 (90 from Dilla town and 60 from Yirgacheffe town) informal sector premises. The methods used to obtain the data included household surveys, personal observations and book and document reviews. The results of the study reveal that female -headed households are challenged by the dual role of heading households and heading businesses. Poor business premises, unstable and inadequate income, and other constraints related to access to credit facilities, equipment, market and inputs were observed. The empirical analysis on the determinants of level of living and earnings identified some factors of policy relevance. Most of the variables are statistically significant. The study urges the need to develop strategies that empower women with regard to their economic rights, assigning a value to their productive roles and subsistence activities. Keywords : gender, informal sector participation, productive roles and household security Ethiopian Journal of Development Research Vol. 29 (1) 2007: pp. 71-98