Women Empowerment through Women-Run Saving and Credit Co- Operatives (A Case Study of Gupteshwor Women's Saving & Credit Cooperative Society in Pokhara-Lekhanath -17, Kaski)

Abstract

The thesis entitled "Women Empowerment Through Women-Run Saving and Credit Co-operatives" has been conducted with the specific objectives of the research as to study about the socio-economic status of women, the activities of women run cooperative's activities for the socio-economic empowerment and level of empowerment of the women members.

This sociological study has been applied in a mixed research design with mostly quantitative and partially qualitative research and its study area is Gupteshwor Women's Saving and Credit Cooperative Society Limited, located in Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan city ward number 17. Among 592 members 60 members have been selected randomly by lottery method. Both the primary and secondary data has been used. The primary data has been collected from field visit and household survey (by detail questionnaire) and key informant's interview. Secondary data has been collected from various published and unpublished literature, and office related reports for the study. The data analysis process is mainly based on tables, pie-charts etc.

GWSCC has been successful in an extent in terms of community awareness, which has been reflected upon equal opportunity to women in the selection of occupation, education, leadership capacity building, right to choice, training and various other social activities. It is evident that women's role and status has been increased positively after its establishment in the selected area. The level of increase is slow and gradual but has proven significant in terms of household decision making and in economic productivity for socio-economic empowerment of the women members. The household decision making power and authority of women has been significantly improved and reached after the establishment of GWSCC.

The study revealed that the program has made positive impact in the study area as all the respondents found being literate; almost all of respondents satisfied by cooperative activities. Women members have an active participation in saving, credit and training program, and in income generating activities. 90% have been responded as their own socio-economic status had increased after joining the cooperative and 80% of the women have been involved in the cooperative have been trained. The respondents have received different types of the training as institutional capacity development, skill development, and awareness raising and finance management. Similarly, the women have been engaged on the meeting, interactions, saving and taking loan opportunities, etc. As about 83% of the trainees have responded that they realized being empowered significantly and 14.28% partially, whereas 2.08% has been found not noticed about it. After joining the cooperative, the socio-economic status has been found improved significantly. Taking decision about taking loan, decision making capacity, social activities, self confidence, right to spent, participation in community and social activities (meeting, development, etc.) has been found increasing significantly after the involvement in the cooperative. Their involvement in the cooperative and saving credit group has increased the social mobility, interaction and participation, so this has given them to earn space in their social arena and respect for themselves and has encouraged them to find active role in the family and society /neighborhood. So, the women saving and credit cooperative has been a way to access the women's socio-economic empowerment.