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Household responses

Female-headed households and livelihood intervention in four selected weredas in Tigray, Ethiopia

Impacts of livelihoods interventions on female-headed households in Tigray

Authors: M. Desta; G. Haddis; S. Ataklt
Publisher: Drylands Coordination Group, Norway, 2006

Full text of document

This report looks at the activities of different organisations working for the improved livelihood of the local community in Tigray, Ethiopia, with a particular emphasis on the Women's Association of Tigray (WAT), as an indigenous NGO. With an emphasis on female-headed households (FHHs), the study on which the report is based attempted to evaluate the attitudes of local people to different development interventions are being implemented. As part of this process, it considers the importance of the food security programme (FSP) in rural areas, in terms of the different types of households involved in the programme.

Some of the issues covered are:

  • existing policies, strategies and their implications for women
  • livelihood options
  • the household security extension programme
  • contributions of WAT for livelihood improvements.

Some of the key points are:

  • with regard to agricultural credit as part of a food security programme (FSP), the participation from FHHs was seen to be reserved. These households mainly feared being indebted or felt that they did not have the required skill and labor to succeed with the programme
  • however, the expenditure of FHHs that have not taken credit from the package program was found to be significantly lower than FHHs that had enrolled and male-headed households (MHHs) that had both enrolled and not enrolled in the programme
  • in general, the different development interventions including the FSP programme were seen to serve the relatively better-off and stronger segment of the local community.

Recommendations include:

  • the provision of credit should be demand driven
  • livelihood improvement strategies forwarded to the community at the grassroots level should be based on the interests and the capabilities of those people aimed to benefit from the programme
  • people at the grassroots level have to be properly oriented and taught on the appropriate management techniques of the components of the package programme
  • region, wereda and tabia level government officials should work closely together
  • training programs arranged by WAT should be carried out based on the interests of the members. Training contents should also be revised so as to make the activities offered new, attractive, and with better revenue to make the members and FHHs self sufficient.