Determinants of gender bias in Ethiopia: Evidence from Jimma Zone

Abstract

The gender issue is a key concern of economic development in Least Developed Countries in general and Ethiopia in particular. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the factors affecting gender bias and its links to economic vulnerability in Jimma Zone using cross-sectional survey data gathered in 2020/21. A cross-sectional survey data was collected from 399 respondents in Jimma Zone. Primary and secondary data were used. Qualitative and quantitative primary data were employed. Descriptive statistics and econometric methods were developed for the data analysis. The results of binary logit regression showed that gender bias was significantly affected by age, sex, sexual harassment, marital status, educational status, mother education, income status, community attitude, credit use, and access to information. Therefore, this study recommends the respective bodies to focus on awareness creation for the gender issue, which is a base to achieving sustainable economic development.