Role of Micro-Finance on Women Empowerment: A Survey Study of Gelu Village of Manthali Municipality, Ramechhap

Abstract

This study analyzed role of Micro finance program on women empowerment. To the end, the objectives of the study were to examine social-economic situation of selected households, to assess the saving and credit status of women and to analyze changing social and economic status of the women in the community. More so, the study followed survey research design in which both primary/secondary data were used. Purposive sampling method was used to select 86 respondents out of 185 women involving in micro fiancé programs. The study found that, out of 86 respondents, 4.65 percent had said that credit interest rate was high and the remaining 95.34 percent had said it was reasonable. The study found that microfinance takes various kinds of loan products from its members such as; animal husbandry, agriculture, education, seasonal vegetables, youth self-employment, bio-gas and business. The Majority of the respondents were satisfied with the interest rate of MFs. The study found that most of the respondents i.e., 79.06 percent were satisfied with the client service system of MF and only 20.93 percent were not satisfied. Similarly, because of micro finance program, women including their family members are involving in various sectors of economy. They are learning different skills and wanted to use it with the help of microfinance. They were saving money as well as creating the base of additional support in the form of credit. Microfinance helped to promote saving habits, invest loan with reasonable interest rate to fulfill the financial necessities of its members and also improved thereby socio-economic condition. After entry in microfinance program, 46.67 percent of the respondents are performing commercial farming whereas 17 percent are involving in local business and other income generates activities. That has successfully changed their level of income, food sufficiency, consumption patterns, clothing patterns, and sheltering patterns as well as changed their educational, health and political status in the community.