Assessing the impact of social, demographic, and economic factors on the economic empowerment of rural women in agricultural activities: a partial proportional odds model analysis in Dire Dawa Administration, Ethiopia

The study examined the impact of social, demographic, and economic factors on the economic empowerment of rural women in agricultural activities in Ethiopia's Dire Dawa region, using a mixed-methods research approach. The research team collected data from a sample of 419 women engaged in agricultural activities and used the proportional odds model and the partial proportional odds model to identify the factors associated with economic empowerment. The study found that age, property ownership, and education and training had a negative effect, while social networks and media had a positive effect on economic empowerment. The results also showed that women aged 40 and above had a lower likelihood of being economically empowered and lack of property ownership and limited contact with extension agents hurt economic empowerment. The study recommended improving women's access to credit, land ownership, and training opportunities to promote gender equity and women's economic empowerment in the agricultural sector in Ethiopia. This study contributes to the literature by using a mixed-methods approach that integrated qualitative data with quantitative data, which has not been used before in Ethiopia. The findings provide important implications for policymakers and development practitioners in promoting gender equity and women's economic empowerment in the agricultural sector. The study highlights the need to address the challenges that women face in achieving economic empowerment, including limited access to credit, training, and land ownership. By improving access to these resources, policymakers and development practitioners can create an enabling environment that fosters women's economic empowerment and promotes gender equity in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.