Role of Rural Women Entrepreneurship in Household Food Security: The Case of Boloso Sore Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study attempts to assess the current status of women entrepreneurship in the study area, analyse the contribution of Entrepreneurship to Household food security and find constraints affecting rural women Entrepreneurship in Boloso Sore woreda, Wolaita Zone. Data were collected from 120 sample rural women entrepreneurs in three Kebele Administrations using random sampling techniques. Primary data were collected by conducting a rural women entrepreneur survey. In addition, key informant interviews were used. Secondary data were collected from various sources. Finally, the data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, and frequency distribution. Moreover, the chi-square test was used to describe the relation of rural women-owned businesses type with an education background. Food security was measured by the expenditure method. All the study sample rural women entrepreneurs were married and had large size family. With the increasing family size, cultivating land size is highly decreasing proportionally. Hence, an annually harvested product from farmland cannot feed for more than two months; the above facts push factors into entrepreneurship activities. Types of businesses owned by the sample population were retail, manufacturing, service render and others which most educated entrepreneurs operating from retail businesses: fruit, used cloths and mini-shop retail and from service render businesses: rural cafeteria, rural alcohol grocery and rural restaurant services, while illiterate entrepreneurs operating from retail businesses: flour, grain, vegetables and coffee and all manufacturing businesses (Brewing borde, baking enjera, brew kinoto, baking bread) and others such as Vegetative plant trade and Livestock Trade. The majority of entrepreneurs started operating mentioned businesses ten years. The Source of the initial capital of the study sample was self-saving and household deposit. While household food expenses in a week mean 195 Birr, businesses contribute 63% of the household total food expenditure in a week. According to food security status, most study sample populations are highly food secure. With look upon problems, lack of market and lack of credit facilities are dominating problems. Because of daily food expenses, working financial capital is not increasing. However, Rural Women Entrepreneurship is profitable and dramatically contributes to household food security.