Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman is a perennial corm crop grown in house yards
and consumed predominantly in the south and southwest regions of Ethiopia. Often
described as a “woman’s crop” for women’s labor roles in the processing, cooking
and selling of enset products, the plant is notorious for the strenuous work involved
in its harvest and post-harvest management. Following a qualitative feminist
framework, we interviewed male and female enset farmers as well as other experts
with regards to enset and gender in Jimma Zone. The data analysis identified four
major themes: 1) The benefits and uses of enset; 2) The gender division of labor and
decision-making; 3) Gendered challenges; and 4) The technology gap. The discussion
suggests some important considerations in terms of scaling up enset production for
wider distribution and the potential impacts of these developments on women
farmers. Enset is an important crop, especially for women who maintain control over
the outputs. Women depend on the crop to feed their families and access money in
times of financial strain