ISSN: 2332-0761
Gashaw Ayferam*
This study is mainly focused on the role of women in economic development with the aim of assessing the roles and constraints of women in economic development of Ethiopia in general and Ambo in particular. Women in Ethiopia or anywhere else in developing countries occupy the low states in the society and their contributions has never been adequately recognized or given economic value. Moreover, women‘s roles in the economy has often been under estimated and their work in the different sectors has long been invisible. The findings are based on primary and secondary data collections from different sources. The primary data is collected through questionnaires and interview while the secondary data is collected from literature review. The result of the study indicates the significance of the role of women in economic development and the factors that make their economic roles unrecognized. The roles of women, among other things, includes saving, family planning, efficient utilization of resources, productive, reproductive, and community managing role. The role of women in economic development can be improved through gender empowerment measures and by providing women to productive resources such as credit and loan