Journal of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development

The Role of Women in Indigenous Knowledge and Practices on Soil Conservation the Case of Konso Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Abstract

Accepted 4^th December, 2020

Involving women in environmental sustainable management has noted, but problem plagued undertaking. Women have developed valuable knowledge about environmental sustainability and critical in area of desertification survival mechanism during time of drought and famine, but they are threaded by cultural construction that limited their opportunism of participation to be familiar.  The reason for researcher to chosen konso as his research site was that, konso recently awarded UNSCO recognition over cultural landscape Heritage and indigenous SWC managements. The property is also now under protection of Ethiopia laws by traditional, regional and federal laws of regional ‘proclamation to provide for the protection of konso’s cultural landscape Heritage’ (2010).  Therefore, this study explores three questions. Howe farmers understand soil erosion and their perception towards soil erosion problems. What do farmers do practice to conserve soil and water in response to soil erosion actions? In addition, what are the level of women participation in local practice of soil and water conservation? Moreover, what are local institutions of labour division of society in tackling of soil erosion and level of women participation? The project employed mixed method of research; including structured questioners, household interviews, and family farm filed observation, focus group discussion for both male and female group to collect primary data source from 70 respondents of both male and female-headed household and secondary data collected from Internet, relevant organization and pertinent documents of local government. The research activity was conducted in one of UNSCO preserved Keble. The sample respondents of study selected purposively based on the category of female headed and male-headed family by having the local statistics data. The research objectives were. (i) To examine farmer’s knowledge and their perception towards soil erosion, (ii) To examine indigenous soil and water conservation measures that have locally adopted by the society and the level of women participation. (iii) In addition, to examine locally constructed institutional labour division in exercising indigenous SWC practices and level of women participation. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics, quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The finding of this research showed that all respondent were aware of problem of land degradation and as the result under taken different type of indigenous soil and water conservation practices to mitigate the problem. The research also revealed the household decision to distribution of benefit and responsibility among the gender to adopt soil conservation practice. Generally the research conclude women role in knoso society despite their hard work and participation in almost all activities of the conservation practices, as well the  effort and hardworking practices they have showed not that much taken in to consideration and appreciated by society. Due to socioeconomic-cultural role classification matters and social perception.

Keywords: Konso, culture, indigenous knowledge, soil conservation practices, UNSCO