Gender inequities present a major barrier to increased agricultural production and food security in
Ethiopia. However, a lack of nationally representative sex-disaggregated data and analysis hinder the
development and implementation of evidence-based policies. This report aims to contribute to filling
this gap by presenting a gender analysis of the Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency’s Agricultural Sample
Survey (AgSS) data, collected between 2010 and 2013. The analysis reveals clear gender gaps between
male and female holders in terms of human capital, natural capital, financial capital, agricultural input
use, and participation in crop production and livestock husbandry. Specifically, female holders are less
educated, have less family labor, own and manage less land, and are less likely to cultivate rented land
compared to male holders. Concurrently, female holders have limited access to extension and advisory
services and, therefore, to knowledge and information concerning best agronomic practices. Compared
to male holders, female holders are less likely to cultivate commercial and economically valuable crops.
This difference substantially contributes to the gender resource gap since these crops generate a higher
market value than traditional staple crops. Moreover, a significantly lower proportion of female holders
reported ownership of livestock, especially oxen and equines, which are the primary sources of draught
power for plowing and transportation in rural Ethiopia. Overall, this report identifies significant
differences in the patterns of agricultural production of male and female holders in Ethiopia and calls for
closing these gender gaps, becasue it would yield enormous benefits at the individual, household, and
national levels. The report also puts forward policy priorities for prospective interventions.