Effects of Microfinance Program on Social and Economic Empowerment of Women (A Case Study of Ghorahi Sub-Municipality)
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Management
Abstract
Microfinance has become an important instrument for women empowerment in
developing countries through its provision of both the financial services and nonfinancial
services
to
the
poor.
Thus,
this
study
sought
to
find
out
the
socio-economic
effects
associated with the participation of women in the microfinance programs. A
survey was conducted in dang district of Ghorahi sub municipality members of
different microfinance member. A convenient simple technique is used in research
where sample of 120 women participants. A structured questionnaire was used as data
collecting tool, as data was analyzed quantitively through the use of descriptive and
analytical statistics from the SPSS tool and presented in form of frequencies and
tables.
The research objectives were to examine whether or not microfinance services
contribute on the social impact such as women empowerment, health and education
and to analyze the relationship between microfinance services and economic impact
(such as income, assets and employment) of microfinance member. The results
indicated that microfinance services had effects on the socio-economic status of
women. The descriptive statistics shows that the time period involve in micro
finance, interest rate, loan cycle, loan size that measures the minimum, maximum,
mean and standard deviation. The correlation analysis reveals that the microcredit,
micro saving, services has highly positive relationship with women empowerment,
health, education, income assets and employment.
Similarly, the micro insurance plays a vital role on women empowerment, health,
education, assets and income whereas the employment doesn’t have a positive
significant. Likewise the payment and re-payment service of microfinance has also a
significant relation with women empowerment, assets, income and employment. On
the other hand payment and re-payment has a adversely effect on health and
education. The study also reveals that training and business development has a
significant relation with assets whereas there is a positive relationship with women
empowerment, health, education, income and employment.