Microcredit And Women Empowerment: A Case Study of The “Women In Development” Program in La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly

Abstract

Microcredit has been identified to be an effective tool for empowering women. Evidence from the literature suggests that access to microcredit has the power to improve their productive capacity. The La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly introduced the “Women in Development” program to provide credit to women groups to expand on their income generating activities. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of microcredit on women empowerment. The study also sought to investigate the type or kind of income generating activities beneficiaries engaged in. Finally, the study sought to assess the challenges beneficiaries encountered in managing and using their credit. The study employed the survey method using structured questionnaires and interview guide. It also used face-to-face interviews and in-depth interviews. All the 100 beneficiaries took part in the face-to-face interviews and 8 beneficiaries were engaged in the in-depth interviews. The results revealed that access to microcredit helps expand the income generating activities of the beneficiaries. It was also established from the study that access to microcredit affected beneficiaries’ decision-making positively in terms of decisions regarding their own health, children’s education and health, making purchases and decisions regarding their mobility. Access to credit has also improved upon the family and social relationships of these women. A major challenge encountered by the women was the size of the credit, which affects the progress of their Income Generating Activities (IGAs). It was therefore recommended that government should increase funding to District Assemblies to enable them increase the amount of loans given to them.