Contribution of microfinance towards the socio-economic empowerment of women: a case study of Kamwenge Sub County, Kamwenge District
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Date
2010-07
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Kampala International University: College of Economics and management
Abstract
This study was set tow empirically establish the contribution of microfinance towards the social economic empowerment of women micro-enterprises in Kamwenge District. It specially focused on the following objectivities; establishing micro finance services accessed by women micro entrepreneurs, identifying problems encountered by women micro entrepreneurs in Kamwenge District during and after accessing and analyzing the socio-economic status of women entrepreneurs, before and after accessing micro finance and soliciting for suggestions on how to improve on the services by women entrepreneurs in Kamwenge District. The study drew on primary source of data on 90 participants. The study used to descriptive, survey design where both qualitative and quantitative method were used, a structured interview guide focused group guide and key informative guide were used to collect data from the respondents. Quantitative data that was edited and recorded was analyzed using percentages. Qualitative data that was analyzed using content basing on themes derived from research objective. The findings of the study indicated that women micro entrepreneurs in Kamwenge District access a wide variety of micro finance survives which includes micro loans as the most accessed followed by micro savings facilities and training related to business management skills respectively. The majority of the respondents were doing some IGAS prior to accessing micro finance enabled women entrepreneurs to contribute towards cost related to children education. Family feeding, health care and other family demands. This has gone a long way in improving the welfare of the family and the communities. However, during the process of accessing and utilizing micro finance, women entrepreneurs experience a number of problems which include high transport costs incurred when frequenting micro finance institutions, increasing household responsibilities, tight repayment schedules and victimization of other solidarity group mates, failure to service her micro loan. It was recommended that Micro finance institutions should ensure that the business skills training component should be a prerequisite to women micro entrepreneurs before and after accessing micro loans such as cost benefit analysis. The incentive of micro loan increment in subsequent cycle was to utilize the increased funds. Microfinance Institutions should endeavor to establish outreach of women micro entrepreneurs. The repayment schedule should be adjusted from weekly to monthly. Women micro entrepreneurs should undertake IGAS in which they have prior experience, interest, convenient and above all profitable. The ministry of finance, planning and economic development in conjunction with bank of Uganda should put incentives such as waving off taxes to micro finance institutions so as to encourage more women micro entrepreneurs and finally the ministry of gender, labour and social development should take an initiative to mobilization and guiding women micro entrepreneurs to for savings and credit societies of their own
Description
A research report submitted to the School of Business and Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Award of a Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration of Kampala International University
Keywords
Microfinance, Socio-economic empowerment, Women, Kamwenge Sub County, Kamwenge District