Abstract:
A study of assessing gender roles in maize production and management practices was conducted
in Ameya district, South West Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia to access gender
roles in maize production and management practices, to investigate gender issue in maize
production and management practices, to analyze gender roles in maize production and
management practices and to examine gender inequality in access to productive resources in
maize production and management practices. A thesis followed mixed research design where
data collection approaches were joined with qualitative and quantitative methods. Different data
collection techniques like household survey, focus group discussion, key informant interview and
personal observation were used. Purposive sampling was used to select district and two villages.
Sample respondents of male and female households were selected from two villages by using
stratified sampling. The data sources were both primary and secondary data. During the
collection of primary data, triangulations of different methods were used to ensure the reliability
and validity of the collected data. To enable analysis of data collected through questionnaire,
Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (version 20) were used. Descriptive statistics
like frequency, percentage, chi-square and cross tabulation were used and the result of the study
were summarized by tables, figure, pie charts and bar chart to draw conclusions. The major
gender issue in the areas, were unequal gender division of labor, access and control over
resources and unequal intra household decision making. The contribution of female farmers in
maize crop production and management practices in the study area is more significant than male
farmers in manual weeding, transporting and storing. Respondents believe that female farmers
play an equal role with male in seed sowing, harvesting and threshing. Male farmers have a
great contribution only on land preparation and marketing. Female farmers believe they have
limited access to agriculture inputs, extension services and training in the study area. Careful
planning and follow up of agricultural extension services is crucial by district agricultural
offices and development agent so as to bring improved household production and productivities
were some of the recommendations made for improvement of farmers involved in maize
production and management practices.