The role of Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) in improving female-headed households’ food security: the case of Enebsie Sar Midir District of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) run by the government of Ethiopia since 2005, has been serving millions of the poor in smoothening consumption and preventing asset depletion. Nevertheless, chronic food insecure households have increased from time to time partly associated with unpredictable weather conditions. The problem is more severe for female-headed households residing in drought prone areas of Ethiopia. The study investigated the contribution of PSNP in improving food security by surveying proportionately sampled 200 female-headed rural households in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses were used; the former employed multiple linear regression modeling. The study identified that 43% of the sampled households were graduands of the safety nets programme; however, there was no significance difference in terms of food availability between graduated and non-graduated households. From the study it was learnt that PSNP has brought empowerment and community recognition of women; yet, premature graduation, lack transparency in targeting and delay transfer of safety nets were the major challenges encountered by the beneficiary female-headed households. Hence, monitoring and evaluation systems currently prevailing by programme implementers need to be strengthened gender sensitive indicators for the reason that gender is relevant in all dimensions of food and nutritional security. Besides, to attain the anticipated results of the safety nets, female-headed households need to be trained on gender mainstreaming and be clear to the criteria used in targeting and graduation from safety nets.

Keywords: PSNP, Graduation, Targeting, kilocalorie, food security