FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN ADDIS ABABA SURVEY ON THEIR

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FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN ADDIS ABABA
SURVEY ON THEIR SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION
AND STREETISM AND PROSTITUTION AMONG THEIR
CHILDREN

By:

FORUMFOR STREETCHILDREN-ETHIOPIA (FSCE)

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
January, 1998.
PREFACE

It is evident that the burden of poverty falls disproportionately on women and more so on
households headed by women. Female heads of households, particularly those with no
male partners, are faced with the big challenge of carrying out all the responsibilities of
running their households alone. Children of such households, as is generally
hypothesized and empirically observed, suffer from various psycho-social problems that
affect their normal growth and development.

FORUM FOR STREET CHILDREN-ETHIOPIA (FSCE), aware of the problems
encountered by female heads of households and their children, initiated this study so as to
assess the situation of female headed households in Addis Ababa by covering a sample of
700 female heads from 8 representative Kebeles of the city. Situation of their children
Visa-vis streetism and prostitution was also assessed during the study.

This report is the final outcome of the study and is thought to benefit not only us (FSCE)
but other governmental and non-governmental organizations working on areas of gender
and development (GAD) as well as the well-being of children in general, and children in
difficult circumstances in particular.

FSCE would like to thank the researcher, Ato Keremenz Agonafir, for his painstaking
work in making the study a reality. FSCE would also like to thank all female heads of
households who volunteered to spare their precious time in order to respond to the many
questions of a rather long questionnaire. Out thanks is also due to the data collectors and
supervisors who worked devotedly and sincerely throughout the data collection phase.

FSCE owe special note of gratitude to without whose financial assistance this study
would not have been materialized.

Forum for Street Children - Ethiopia
January, 1998.
ABSTRACT

Gender issues have become the concern of rational government, the international
community and NGOs during the last two to three decades. Female - headed households,
which are increasingly becoming common in almost all parts of the world, have now
gained the attention of policy makers and program initiators alike in both developed and
developing countries. The concern for the protection and well - being of children from
such households, particularly from the poorest female headed households, by
governmental and non - governmental organization has been rising.

This research is an empirical study on the socio - economic situation of female heads and
their households in Addis Ababa. 700 female head respondents from 8 representative
Kebeles were covered by the study. Apart from the socio - economic assessment of the
situation of these female headed households, the prevailing situation of their children vis-
a-vis streetism and prostitution was also addressed.

Various socio - economic and demographic situation of female heads and their
households are elaborated based on empirical data. As a study is basically aimed to assess
situation, the report is presented using descriptive statistics and does not involve
sophisticated statistical hypothesis testing.

Income, education, age, migration, age at first headship of present household, length of
headship, fertility, housing conditions, and facilities, among of hers, regarding female
heads and their households are treated in detail. Streetism, prostitution, juvenile
delinquency and drug addiction among children of female heads and their households are
also assessed.

Findings show that the mean and median ages of female heads are 46.5 and 45 years
respectively. 77.6 percent of the female heads were found to be migrants, born either in
rural Weredas or towns other than Addis Ababa. 55.1 percent and 21.0 percent of the
sample were found to be Amharas and Oromos respectively while 90.3 and 7.1 were
Orthodox Christians and Muslims respectively. The literacy status for the whole sample
was only 35.4 percent.

Average number of members in female-headed households covered was found to be 4.5
persons while the sex ratio of household members was 61.5. 69.3 percent of the members
of these households were in the economically active population (15 to 64 years).
Dependency ratio for the sampled household was 44 per 100 worrying age group.

50.3 and 29.6 percent of respondent female heads were widowed and divorced
respectively while 7.7 and 4.0 percent were never - married and separated respectively.
The remaining were either currently married or living with a man/partner.

Mean age at first headship of present household was found to be 31.7years while mean
duration (length) of headship for the total sample was 16years. 87.7 percent of the heads
covered had given birth to at least one child. Cumulated fertility at the last reproductive
age group (45-49 years) was found to be 4.74 children.

It was revealed that 72.7 percent of female heads work in the informal sector while 11. 7
and 4.8 percent were government and private employees respectively. Average monthly
income of the 700 female heads was found to be Birr 124.7 and their median income Birr
75.

76.1 percent of the sample live in rented housing units. 85.6 percent of the housing units
of these households have one or two rooms. Average number of persons per room was
found to be 2.6 persons. 50. 7, 7.3 and 7.0 percent of female headed households have
radio, TV sets and telephones respectively.

66.4 percent of the 700 female headed households covered have at least one child aged
between 5 and 18 years living in their households while only 15 female heads (2.1
percent) have children in the specified age group living elsewhere. Total children aged
between 5 and 18 years living in the sampled households were 9494 (419 males & 530
females). 15. 7 percent of these children were not going to school at the time of the study.
Economic reasons sited for the vast majority of the non-school going children.

93.3 percent of the 465 heads who have children in the 5 to 18years age range said that
none of their children are involved in street life and work. Only 6.7 percent said their
children do work on the streets of the city. 44 (33 males & 1I females) of the 9494
children are reported as children working on streets. 54.9 and 29.5 percent of these 44
children work in order to augment household income and cover school expenses
respectively. Two of the 700 female heads said that three of their children were involved
in prostitution while 12 heads of households said they have one female child each who
gave birth outside marriage.

8 children in the same age range (7 males & 1 female) were arrested in the past allegedly
for some type of violation of the law but none were charged and found guilty. One child
was said to be smoking cigarettes while another child reported as alcohol addict by two
female heads in he sample.

Based on the major findings of the study, the last part of the report tries to indicate major
areas for program intervention regarding female headed households and their children.
Table of Content
PREFACE............................................................................................................................2
ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................3
Table of Content..................................................................................................................5
List of Tables.......................................................................................................................7
CHAPTER ONE................................................................................................................10
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................10
1.1. BACKGROUND....................................................................................................10
1.2. THE RESEARCH PROBEEM...............................................................................11
1.3. OBJECTIVES....................................................................................................13
1.3.1. General Objectives:.........................................................................................13
1.4. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE........................................................................14
CHAPTER TWO...............................................................................................................24
DATA SOU1RCE AND METHODOLOGY....................................................................24
2.1. THE STUDY AREA..............................................................................................24
2.2. SAMPLE SIZE.......................................................................................................24
2.3. SAMPLING AND SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION....................................................26
2.4. INSTRUMENT.......................................................................................................30
2.5. PRE - TEST............................................................................................................31
2.6. FIELD WORK........................................................................................................31
2.6. DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................32
2.7. RESPONSE RATES...............................................................................................32
2.8. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .........................................................................33
CHAPTER THREE...........................................................................................................33
BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS......................................33
3.1. AGE........................................................................................................................33
3.2. PLACE OF BIRTH.................................................................................................35
3.3. PLACE OF CHILDHOOD RESIDENCE..............................................................36
3.4. ETHNIC COMPOSITION.....................................................................................36
3.5. RELIGIOUS COMPOSITION...............................................................................37
3.6. EDUCATION.........................................................................................................38
CHAPTER FOUR.............................................................................................................40
SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION OF FEMALE HEADS
AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS ..........................................................................................40
4.1. HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND COMPOSITION........................................................40
4.2. MIGRATION .........................................................................................................42
4.3. MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN EVER BORN (CEB).............................................44
4.3.1. Marital Status.......................................................................................................44
4.3.2. Age at First Marriage.......................................................................................45
4.3.3. Number of Marriages and Types of Marriage Arrangements.........................46
4.3.4. Main Reason for Divorce/Separation and Cause of Death for Most Recent
Husband.....................................................................................................................48
4.3.5. Age at First Headship and Length (Duration) of Headship.................................50
4.3.7. Children Ever Born..........................................................................................57
4.4. OCCUPATION AND INCOME OF FEMALE HEADS OF HOUSEHOLDS.....59
4.5. HOUSING CONDITIONS AND FACILITIES.....................................................62
4.6. HOUSEHOLD POSSESSIONS.............................................................................64
4.7. PERSONAL FEELINGS OF FEMALE HEADS OF HOUSEHOLDS.................65
CHAPTER FIVE...............................................................................................................68
STREETISM AND PROSTITUTION AMONG CHILDREN OF FEMALE HEADS
AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS ..........................................................................................68
5.1. CHILDREN OF FEMALE HEADS AND THEIR HOUSEHOLD.......................69
5.3. STREET AND WORKING CHILDREN .........................................................71
5.3.1. Percentage Distribution of Female Headed Households by Children Working of
Streets and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997).........................................................72
5.4. PROSTITUTION AMONG CHILDREN OF FEMALE HEADED
HOUSEHOLDS.............................................................................................................74
5. 5. DELINQUENCY AND DRUG/SUBSTANCE ADDICTION AMONG
CHILDREN OF FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS...............................................76
CHAPTER SIX..................................................................................................................78
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS................................................................................78
6.1. SUMMARY............................................................................................................78
6.2. RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................81
6.2.1. INCOME GENERATION AND COMMUNITY/PUBLIC WORK..............81
6.2.2. EDUCATION..................................................................................................81
6.3.3. FURTHER ASSESSMENT AND STUDIES .................................................83
BIBLIOGRAPHY..............................................................................................................84
List of Tables
Table 2.1. Strata A - High Category (Addis Ababa).........................................................28
Table 2.2. Strata B - Middle Category (Addis Ababa)......................................................28
Table 2.3. Strata C - Low Category (Addis Ababa)..........................................................28
Table 2.4. Number of Kebeles Sampled from each Stratum (Addis Ababa)..............29
Table 2.6. Number of Female-headed Households Sampled from each Kebele (Addis
Ababa) 30
Table 2. 7. Response Rates for Addis Ababa (Urban).................................................32
Table 3.1. Percentage Distribution of Age Composition of Female Heads of Households
by Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)...................................................................34
Table 3.3. Percentage Distribution of Female-Heads of households by Place of Childhood
Residence and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)................................................36
Table 3.4. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households 6y their Ethnic
Composition and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)...........................................36
Table 3.5 Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households b y religious
Affiliation and Wereda/Kebele..................................................................................37
Table 3.6.1. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads by School Attendance and
Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)........................................................................38
Table 3.6.2. Percentage Distribution of female Heads Who Ever Attended School by
Highest Level Completed ad Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997).........................38
Table 4.1.2. Percentage Distribution of Members of Female - Headed Households by Age
and Sex (Addis Ababa, 1997)....................................................................................41
Table 4.2.1. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households by Migration Status
and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997).................................................................42
Table 4.2.2. Percentage Distribution of Migrant Female Heads of Households by..........43
Age At First Migration and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)...................................43
Table 4.3.1. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households by Current Marital
Status and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)......................................................44
Table 4.3.3.2. Percentage Distribution of Ever - Married Female Heads by Type of Their
First Marriage Arrangement and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)...................47
Table 4.3.4.1. Percentage Distribution of Divorced/Separated Female Heads of
Households by Main Reason for Divorce/Separation and Wereda/Kebele (Addis
Ababa, 1997)..............................................................................................................48
Table 4.3.4.2. Percentage Distribution of Widowed Female Heads of Households by
Cause of Death of Most Recent Husband and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997).
...................................................................................................................................50
Table 4.3.5.1. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households by Age at First.50
Headship and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997).........................................................50
Table 4.3.5.2. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households by Length of
Headship and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997).................................................52
Table 4.3.6.1. Percentage Distribution of Ever - Married Female Heads of Households by
Age of First Husband at Marriage and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)..........53
Table 4.3.6.3. Percentage Distribution of Ever - Married Female Heads of Households by
Highest Educational Level of Their First Husbands and Wereda/kebele (Addis
Ababa, 1997)..............................................................................................................54
Table 4.3.6.4. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households Married More
than Once by Highest Educational Level of Their Most Recent Husbands and
Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1977)........................................................................55
Table 4.3.6.5. Percentage Distribution Ever-Married Female Heads of Households by
Occupation/Major Work of Their First Husbands and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa,
1997)..........................................................................................................................56
Table 4.3.6.6. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households Married More
than Once by Occupation/Major Work of Most Recent Husband and Wereda/Kebele
(Addis Ababa, 1997)..................................................................................................56
Table 4.3. 7.2. Mean Parities of Women in the 1990 FFS, 1994 Population Census and
the Present Study (Addis Ababa, 1997).....................................................................59
Table 4.4.1. Percentage Distribution of 'Working' Female Heads of Households by Type
of Work and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)...................................................60
Table 4.5.1. Percentage Distribution of Female - Headed Households by Type of..........62
Tenure of Housing Units and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)................................62
Table 4.5.2. Percentage Distribution of Female - Headed Households by Number of
Rooms in Housing Units and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)........................63
Table 4.5.3. Percentage Distribution of Female - Headed Households by Source of
Drinking Water and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Abala,1997).........................................63
Table 4.6.1. Percentage Distribution of Female - Headed Households by Household
Possession and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)...............................................64
Table 4.7.1. Percentage Distribution of Divorced/Separated and Widowed Female Heads
of Households by Status of Happiness/Satisfaction in Present Life and
Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)........................................................................65
Table 4. 7.2. Percentage Distribution of Divorced, Widowed and Separated Female
Heads of Households by Status of Happiness/Satisfaction in Present Life (Addis
Ababa, 1997)..............................................................................................................66
Table 4. 7.3. Percentage Distribution of Divorced/Separated and Widowed Female Head
of Households by Economic Status and Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, l 997)........66
Table 4. 7.4. Percentage Distribution of Widowed, Divorced and Separated Female
Heads of Households by economic Status (Addis Ababa, 1997)..............................67
Table 4. 7. 7. Percentage Distribution of Female Heads of Households Who are No
Currently Married/living With a Partner by Rejection' of Community and
Wereda/Kebele (Addis Ababa, 1997)........................................................................68
Table 5.1.1 Percentage Distribution of Female Headed Households by Number of
Children Aged Between 5 and 18years and Sex (Addis Ababa, 1997).....................69
Table 5.1.2 Number of Children Aged Between 5 and 18years Living in the 465
Female Headed Households by Sex and Relation to Head (Addis Ababa, 1997).....70
5.2. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OF CHILDREN.............................................................70
Table 5.2.1 School Attendance of Children of Female Heads and Their Households by
Sec (Addis Ababa, I 997)...........................................................................................70
Table 5.2.2 Major Reason for Children Not Currently Attending School by Number and
Percentage of Children (Addis Ababa, 1997)............................................................71
Table 5.3.2. Working Children of Female Heads and Their Households by Sex (Addis
Ababa, 1997)..............................................................................................................72
Table 5.3.3. Type of Street Work in Which Working Children are Involved (Addis
Ababa, 1997)..............................................................................................................73
Table 5.3.4. Major Reason for Working (as responded by Female Heads) of Working
Children (Addis Ababa, 1997....................................................................................73
Table 5.4.1. Female Children of Female Heads and Their Households Who Gave Births
Outside Marriage (Addis Ababa1997).......................................................................76
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND

African countries, including Ethiopia, are part of the world where women as well as men
typically undergo a life - long struggle to combine reproductive and productive tasks and
responsibilities within familial/ household contexts.

The household is considered to be the basic social and/ or economic unit of society.
Changes at the household level, therefore, have repercussions at the aggregate level of a
country. For instance, changes in household composition and structure have an impact on
the distribution of goods and services, and on the planning of community institutions,
requirements for schools, housing and health infrastructure.

Families/ households throughout the world in general and those in developing countries
in particular face many challenges in overcoming their roles and responsibilities. Despite
these challenges, the household continues to provide the natural framework for the
emotional, financial and material support essential to the growth, development and
normal functioning of its members.

In the Ethiopian context, the household/ family, as a nucleus of society, goes beyond
satisfying the material and emotional needs of its members. Like all households in Africa,
Ethiopian families, by virtue of their being the basic units perform, inter alia, the
following functions:

- Establishment of emotional, social and economic bonds between members;
- Procreation and sexual gratification between spouses;
- Giving name, status and identity especially for children;
- Basic care of children, the elderly, the disabled, etc;
- Socialization and education of children;
- Providing belongings and protection of members;
- Act as units of production.

Given the crucial and vital role that households/ families play in the harmony and
development of society, it is evident that the necessary concern should be shown for the
well-being of such unsubstitutable social institution.

However, families/ households have under gone many changes during the past decades.
A more recent phenomenon in this direction is the increasing number of women headed
households in developing countries that are emerging as a result of economic changes,
economic downturns and social pressures, rather than as a product of cultural patterns.