| Abstract: | It is widely accepted that women are central to household well-being and national economic
development. However, the role of women is impeded because they generally hold a low status in
many developing countries. Owing to historical and cultural disadvantages, women are also more
vulnerable to poverty. In addition to being a human rights issue, the prevailing condition of women
calls for taking measures to empower them. The empowerment of women is also the basis for
transforming lives at the household level and in the wider society. In this regard, the delivery of
micro finance is one of the approaches to the empowerment of women. This study has the objective
of assessing the impact of micro finance in the empowerment of women. It recognizes the
multidimensional nature of empowerment as a process involving personal, social, economic and
political dimensions.
The research was conducted at the Specialized Financial and Promotional Institution (SFPI). The
researcher used both qualitative and quantitative methods to obtain a reliable data. Data were
derived from a questionnaire survey of a sample of 373 women clients of the SFPI. In addition,
three focus group discussions were conducted involving 18 women while in-depth interviews were
carried out with another 12.
The study establishes that improved access to micro finance has been able to empower women
economically. Although the results vary, the study indicated that the income and saving levels of
the majority of the clients have increased after the delivery of micro finance. Encouraging results
have also been shown in the enhancement of the
women’s of self-confidence with respect to the capability to work on their own and improve their
lives. On the other hand, there
is no indication of an enhancement in the decision making power of women and in their political
empowerment as reflected in respect for their legal rights, ownership of household assets and
holding of political positions. In addition, the delivery of micro finance has failed to bring about
changes in their decision making at the household level.
The study recognizes the limits of the trans formative capacities of micro finance and it shows that
financial empowerment does not necessarily lead to a transformation in gender relationships which
is a basis for the overall empowerment of women. |
