Continuity And Change In The Status Of Women The Case Of Arsi Oromo Living Adjacent To Upper Wabe Valley (dodola)

This thesis attempts to explain the causal factors for relegation of the status of Dodola Arsi women both from cultural view and economy determinist approach through a comparative study of Serofta and Nagelle Meexamo PAs. To this end, it begins with a discussion of social organization which shows that, according to the traditional social category, there are five levels in the form of Kinship structure in the Dodola Arsi Oromo. Namely: Mana, Warra, ardaa, balbal aand gosa. These are interconnected with lineages and clans. Traditionally, there is Gada practices which governs the political, economic and cultural life of the Dodola Arsi Oromo However, women are excluded from the Gada class which is the main source of public status.rnNevertheless, there are women’s institution like ateete, Qanafaa, Siinqqee and rakoo by whichrnwomen safeguard and defend their interest both in the family and in the community. These arernfemale enterprises.rnThe study has found that in both PAs, there are similar cultural and economic environment whichrnhave direct impact on the status of women. Thus, both in Serofta and Nagella Mexama, thernsocio-economic status of women is lower than that of males which emanated from sex biasedrnsocialization ideology in particular, and socio cultural values in general. Based on this, it isrnargued that cultural values exert substantial influence on the status of women. In this thesis, it isrnalso argued that in Serofta and Negelle Meexama, traditional social status of women persists,rnalbeit in altered forms, long after fundamental changes took place in their political and economicrnbase under the disguise of “modernity”. Traditional marriage practices which have impacts onrnthe status of Dodola Arsi women also persisted with slight change in forms. Rare forms ofrnmarriage practices which do not have cultural approval and which entails negative impact on thernxiirnstatus of women are also introduced. With that, sex related crimes were also perpetrated onrnwomen. However, though modern education is introduced, it did not change much the status ofrnDodal Arsi women. Their participation is very low both in schools and professional fields. Thisrnhave direct repercussion on economic self-reliance of women. The women are still fettered withrntraditional norms and values both in domestic and public sphere.rnThrough an analysis of economic achievement of individual women, it was argued that within thernframework of structural opportunities and constraints, there is some place for women to improverntheir economic condition which help raise their low economic status. The economic prospect ofrnwomen as an individual and category can be elevated by reconsideration of women’s traditionalrninstitution, by increasing decision making power of women both in the household economy andrnin public, by facilitating women’s accessibility and control of resource particularly to agriculturalrnlands and imputes and promoting women’s technology through intensification of educationrnopportunities. In the final analysis, it was suggested that the present low position of Dodola Arsirnwomen is the result of both cultural and economic leverage which made their male counterpart superior in community in general, and in the household in particularrnrnrnrnrnrnrn.

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