| dc.description.abstract | Self-Help Groups have gained significant acclaim in many developing countries as a reliable means of fast-tracking empowerment among rural women. Development partners in Uganda have widely promoted the model to empower communities. However, little is known about how participation in these groups leads to empowerment of their members. Some studies show that SHGs have achieved remarkable success in empowering rural Indian women, other studies also suggest that the subordinate nature of women was hindering some women from joining the groups. The evidence thus remains murky and inconclusive, and this study is therefore an attempt to examine how women members of SHGs have been empowered economically because of their participation. The objectives of the study were: to examine the effect of participation in Self-Help Groups on income levels of women members, income generating activities, women members’ decision making over control and access to economic resources and access to assets among women members.
I studied a group of women members belonging to the Namayumba federation. I did a survey of the members in the group, and it was largely quantitative. The quantitative approach was used to generate percentages which helped show the distribution of women regarding the various indicators per research objective. Inferential statistics were generated from the quantitative approach to help establish the effects of the self-help groups on each dimension of women empowerment under study. The survey also used the qualitative approach to help with triangulation of data collected. A total number of 350 women were sampled in the quantitative strand of the study while the qualitative strand engaged three (3) key informants namely, one (1) official from the implementing partner of the SHG initiative, Community Development Officer and one political leader. It also included three (3) Focus group discussion (FGDs) with women members. Simple random sampling was used for the quantitative sample while purposive sampling technique was used for the qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software to generate descriptive and inferential statistics pertaining to the study while qualitative data was analysed thematically to provide underlying explanations relating to the extent to which the model has led to the empowerment of the rural women in the sub county.
Majority (87.7%) of the women reported an increase in income levels following their membership to the SHGs. Their mean income levels rose from below 50,000UGX to above 50,000 UGX after joining. SHGs had a significant effect on the engagement of the women in Income Generating Activities (IGAs). This was evidenced by the existence of a significant positive correlation between the duration of membership of the SHG and overall income status at a 5 % level of significance (r = .131; p = .014˂.05). Engagement of the women in SHGs had a significant positive effect on their participation in decision making within their households. This was revealed by the existence of a significant relationship between the duration of SHG membership and decision making on economic issues, at the 1% level of significance (r =.300; p = .000˂.01). SHGs had significantly enhanced the women’s access to income generating assets. This was detected by the existence of a significant relationship between duration of membership in a SHG and access to all assets combined at the 1% level (r = -.157, p =.003˂.05). Reflecting on the findings, it appears that the SHG model had made a significant contribution to the economic empowerment of rural women in Namayumba Sub County in terms of income levels, engagement in IGAs, decision making ability at household level and asset acquisition. The study highlighted domestic disharmony at household level as a likely downside of this empowerment and proposed both sensitization and involvement of other household level actors to continually secure their goodwill towards the involvement of the women in the SHGs. Based on the findings, it is clear to enhance training and capacity building to better equip the women with investment skills to avoid the misallocation of financial resources at their disposal. The study also recommends a refinement of the model for better administrative effectiveness. Finally, the study recommends continued longitudinal cohort studies which will provide a clearer picture about the sustainability of this model in the long term. | en_US |
