What are Gender Roles?
Gender Roles: According to Moore (2001:78), Gender is, “the way society expects people to behave on the basis of their physical difference".
Males Roles: Traditionally in Ethiopia, men are responsible for outside work such as: harvesting, plowing, herding, building houses, cutting wood and the trading of goods. Most of the time men spend their free time socializing outside the house.
Females Roles: Traditionally, the women are responsible for domestic work such as: cleaning the house, cooking, brewing beer, cutting hops, buying and selling spices, making butter, collecting and carrying wood, and fetch water.
More Gender Differences in Ethiopia
Gender roles in Ethiopia are not easily comparable to any other country. In the United States for example, women are treated with the same equality as men in basically every aspect of life. Whereas in Ethiopia, the education level of the women is much less and the gender roles are very divided. The women don't have the opportunity to receive an education because they are expected to stay at home. Although for those who become lucky enough to earn their education, getting a job is another struggle. Women don't get the same opportunity as the men do in the work place and the women usually don't get promoted. Another difference of the gender roles is how the kids at home are treated. For example, the boys are given more freedom than the girls. The boys are allowed to play outside with their friends while the girls are responsible for helping their mother at home to learn how to cook and clean the house properly.
Gender Role Problem: In Ethiopia a stereotype role concerning gender start from birth. It is a big deal when a baby boy born, for example if the baby is a boy the family clap seven time while they clap only three time if the baby is a girl. A mother who gives birth to a baby boy congratulated by her husband, whereas if she give a birth to baby girl not so much. Right from the beginning of her life the girls taught to stay at home and instead of going to school, girls expected to get married at very early age.
Below figure one and two shows that in Ethiopia females receive less education than males.