Hindrance to Women Participation & Success in Micro Finance: The Case of Sheno & Feichae Wereda,in SFPI

Abstract

The creation and the subsequent success of MF establishment in Bangladesh have triggered the proliferation of MF based services in the developing world including Ethiopia. Despite the fact that results are inconclusive, a bulk of the literature indicates that MF could help the poor, particularly poor women in many respects such as serving as a buffer against shocks and could work as an instrument of consumption smoothing. It could also help households to increase their income and assets; help them increase consumption expenditure and develop savings habits. This study was conducted to investigate some of the hindrances that affect women participation in MFP taking a sample of 386 female/male beneficiaries from two categories, that is, active clients and drop outs that are participated in a MFP, delivered by SFPI. Using Statistical measurements of average/mean and cross tabulation, the study has found out that although the numerical representation of women in MF programs is dramatically improving, their sheer number alone doesn’t guaranty their actual involvement and benefit from MF schemes. Furthermore, the gender imbalance witnessed at house hold and community level which is manifested by low level of participation in the decision making process; high work load and time poverty and limited ownership status in key productive resources such as land on the one hand and the service delivery mechanisms and MF products that don’t sufficiently consider gender as an issue, on the other hand are found out to be among the factors that affect women participation in MFP.