Abstract:
Rural Women’s Participation in Forest Management has been noted to be a core problem
confronting many farming households in many rural areas of Ethiopia. The general objective
of the study was to assess rural women’s participation in forest management in Meta Robi
Woreda. Both primary and secondary data collection techniques were used for this study. For
the questionnaire survey, a total of 118 sample respondents were randomly selected using
Kothari formula and sample households were selected by using systematic sampling
techniques. Participants of focus group discussion and key informants interview were held
purposively to collect qualitative data. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis
techniques were employed for the study. Qualitative data were analyzed through descriptions
and interpretations whereas quantitative data we reanalyzed through descriptive statistics
(frequency and percentage) and binary logistic regression method. The findings of the study
revealed that certain demographic and socioeconomic characteristic of rural women
significantly influenced their rural women’s participation in forest management: in the study
area. The study also described that increasing demand rural women’s participation in forest
management in study area. The binary logistic regression model results also indicated that
factors such as, family size, educational status and marital status of respondents were
statistically significant determinants of rural women’s participation in forest management.
The study recommended that increasing environmental education, application of family
planning program, diversification of income generation, application of modern farming
system, technology and alternative rural women’s participation in forest management in the
study area.
