DETERMINANTS OF RURAL FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS’ FOOD SECURITY STATUS IN CHIRONE WOREDA OF SIDAMA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The overall objective of the study was to investigate female headed household food security and its determinant factors of rural female headed households in Chirone Woreda of Sidama National Regional State, Ethiopia. The sample sizes of study were 144 female headed households which selected randomly from three kebeles of the study area. These kebeles were selected by using simple random sampling technique. The researcher had applied both quantitative and qualitative approaches and used multistage sampling techniques. The study used both descriptive and econometric statistics during data analysis. To assess household food security status, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used. In addition to this, binary logistic regression model was used to determine factors affecting female headed household food security. The HFIAS output revealed that 40.97% female household heads were food secured, 15.97% female headed households were mildly food insecure, 18.75% female household heads were moderately food insecure and 24.31% female household heads were severely food insecure. The binary logistic regression result further depicted that for female headed household age, level of education, farmland size, TLU and non-farm activities had positive significant and total family size had negative significant on female headed household food security status. The study finding was significant at p<0.01 and p<0.05 level. The study also involves demographic, socioeconomic and institutional factors that had significant effect on female headed household food security in the study area. Finally, the study recommended that rural female headed households need special consideration and support to improve livelihoods as well as to enhance their food security status and livestock holding and cultivated land size play a crucial role by increasing food security.