Abstract:
Rural based Cooperatives can contribute to reduced vulnerability of rural women through improving
women‘s access to productive resources and enabling women to build sustainable livelihood and recover
from vulnerability. The main objective of this study were to assess the role of SACCOs in enabling women
to cope with stresses and shocks through building sustainable livelihood. The study employed
approximating cross sectional survey research design. It also employed both quantitative and qualitative
methods of data collection which mainly through interview, FGD, observation, published materials, and
Woreda report. Using the methods, primary data was collected from sample members of the SACCOs,
centrally placed officials from experts of cooperative promotion agency, cooperative development Agency
and managerial bodies of the cooperative enterprises. Simple random sampling technique was employed
so as to select sample respondents of the study and analysis were done by SPSS software version 21. The
finding of the study has revealed that from a total of 112 women members of SACCOs were involved in
the study with the response rate of 100% (112) by using two experts of cooperative promotion agency and
four cooperative DA. Among the total respondents, majority of women age group 31-45 years old,
majority of women at education level of Grade 5-8, majority of women in marital status were married &
also highest number of women’s income from dividend were less than 500 birr. As study result reveal
that a unit increases in age would likely increase sustainable livelihood by 1.089. As Educational level
increase overall sustainable livelihood would likely increase by 1.115. Being marital status would likely
increase sustainable livelihood by 0.057. As income increases sustainable livelihood would likely
increase by 1.072. Being involved in formal credit would likely increase sustainable livelihood by 1.051.
Perception of women would likely to increase sustainable livelihood by 1.166. Location of House would
likely to increase sustainable livelihood by 0.116. Basic infrastructure would likely to increase
sustainable livelihood by 1.081. From Demographic factors such as age, educational level, income
&Associated factors like Financial Capital (formal credit) Social capital (Attitudes of people towards
women), Physical Capital (Basic infrastructure), had a positive & statistically significant association
with Sustainable Livelihood. However matrimony and Location of House were not found to be
statistically significant predictors of sustainable livelihood. Researcher recommend that the government
and stakeholder should regularly assessed and improved accordingly, Special attention should be given
to rural women cooperatives and further research need to be conducted by including large sample size
