Socio-economic Status of Handicraft Women Among Macca Oromo of West Wallaga, Southwest Ethiopia

Artisan women, who belong to social class known as ogeyyii, meaning expert, play a vital role in socio-economic life of community of West Wallaga. They are producers of implements/utensils which the broad base of the society is putting to use in its day –to-day indoor and outdoor chores. Equally, their role in sustainable development through diversifying livelihood options is of special concern. On the contrary however, the artisan women who had better socio-economic status in the society are currently under destitute socio-economic situation. Their economic status is adversely affected by factors that are challenging progress of the indigenous technology by disrupting artisans’ rural market. Though much remains to be done in this regards, in this research which focus on socio-economic history of artisan women, the major socio-economic challenges of artisans are identified and also appropriate measures to be taken for mitigating them are forwarded. Key Words: Socio-economy; Oromo; Macca; Women; Artisan; Handicraft.