Determinants of Rural Women’s Entry into Income Earning Employment: Empirical Evidence from Sebeta Hawas District of Central Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Enhancing women’s labor force participation remains a central component of the gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda. This paper examines the major determinants of rural women’s entry into non-farm employment. A mixed-methods research design was employed, generating both quantitative and qualitative data through surveys, life history calendars, interviews, and focus group discussions. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 1,066 survey participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and event history analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically to substantiate and enrich the quantitative findings. The study identified a range of factors that significantly influence women’s entry into non-farm employment, which were categorized as individual, family-related, and contextual factors. The results further indicate that certain variables, such as membership in associations, never-married status, attainment of secondary or higher education, and residence in households with high wealth status, exert a consistent influence across both wage employment and self-employment. In contrast, other factors, including primary education, birth cohort, migration status, previously married status, household size, policy period, and place of residence, exhibit varying effects depending on the type of employment. The findings suggest that promoting women’s entry into employment requires broadening current government efforts, which predominantly focus on job creation, by placing greater emphasis on ensuring women’s access to decent work, social services, and infrastructure, as well as on transforming gender relations within households and society at large.