Microfinance Services and Financial Performance of Women Owned Enterprises in Migori Township, Kenya.

Abstract

Although women owned enterprises play an important role in ensuring the growth of an economy, most of these businesses face challenges including limited access to credit facilities and limited skills among women owners. Commercial banks have consistently remained reluctant to advance credit facilities among low income earners who mostly comprise of these women owned enterprises. Majority of the women owned enterprises are still at micro level with limited ability to transact in larger profitable firms because of limited access to financial resources. The study sought to bridge the gap by establishing the effect of Microfinance Services and financial performance of women owned enterprises in Migori Township, Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives; to establish the effect of loan facilities, saving services, capacity building and market facilitation affect financial performance of women owned enterprises in Migori Township, Kenya. The study will be important to the management of women owned enterprises in Kenya, regulatory bodies including the CBK and future scholars and academicians. The study was anchored on the following theories; Entrepreneurship theory and Social theory. The study used descriptive research design. The population of the study was 1281 women owned enterprises in Migori Township. The study applied stratified random sampling technique. The sample size will therefore be 296 women owners of registered enterprises in Migori Township. The collected data was qualitative and quantitative in nature. To analyze qualitative data, content analysis was employed. For quantitative data, the researcher employed both descriptive and inferential statistics for analysis that covered means, standard deviations and regression analysis. The data was presented using tables, charts, frequencies, percentages, graphs and figures. The study concluded that the selected microfinance services which included credit facilities, savings services, capacity building services and market facilitation were to a significant extent offered by the MFIs in the area and had a positive effect on the performance of women-owned enterprises. The study recommends that the women-owned enterprises need to embrace the microfinance services offered by MFIs in the area to propel them to peak performance. The study recommends that the MFIs need to train and mentor the enterprises on financial management and credit use before extending the credit services to improve ability of them to repay and use the resources well.