Microfinance Interventions and Financial Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs in Eldama Ravine, Kenya

dc.contributor.authorTallam, Beatrice Bundotich
dc.contributor.authorNdede, F.W. S
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-15T08:31:49Z
dc.date.available2026-01-15T08:31:49Z
dc.date.issued2026-01-06
dc.descriptionArticle
dc.description.abstractWomen’s financial empowerment (microcredit, microsavings, business development services, advisory/consultancy) is a vital pillar of sustainable and inclusive development, as women contribute significantly to household welfare, community advancement, and national productivity. Despite the growth of microfinance operations in Kenya, women entrepreneurs in Eldama Ravine Sub-County continue to face restricted access to credit, inadequate savings facilities, and limited advisory and business development services. This study examined the effect of microfinance interventions, specifically microcredit, microsavings, business development services (BDS), and advisory and consultancy (AC) services, on the financial empowerment of women entrepreneurs in Eldama Ravine Sub-County, Baringo County, Kenya. The study adopted a survey research design. Data were collected using a drop-and-pick method. Data analysis involved editing, coding, classification, and tabulation to prepare for statistical evaluation. Anchored on the Social Learning, Resource-Based, and Financial Systems theories, the study adopted an explanatory research design targeting 735 registered women-owned enterprises. A sample of 144 respondents was determined using Slovin’s formula and selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected through pre-tested structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Diagnostic tests confirmed model adequacy (Durbin–Watson = 2.110; VIF within acceptable range). Results revealed that microcredit (p=0.044), microsavings (p=0.018), BDS (p=0.023), and AC services (p<0.001) had significant positive effects on women’s financial empowerment, jointly explaining 51.8% of the variation (R²=0.518). Advisory and consultancy services emerged as the strongest determinant of empowerment. The study concludes that microfinance interventions substantially enhance women’s financial autonomy. Business sustainability recommends the expansion of advisory services, enhanced savings mobilisation, and tailored business development programs to strengthen the economic position of rural women entrepreneurs. Overall, microfinance has evolved beyond credit provision to encompass holistic empowerment tools that enable women to build financial capability, overcome structural barriers, and achieve sustainable entrepreneurial success.
dc.identifier.citationBeatrice Bundotich Tallam, Ndede F.W. S. Microfinance Interventions and Financial Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs in Eldama Ravine, Kenya. Asian Journal of Economics, Finance and Management , 2026, 8 (1), pp.28-40. ⟨hal-05453875⟩
dc.identifier.otherHAL Id : hal-05453875
dc.identifier.otherDOI: 10.56557/ajefm/2026/v8i1351
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32067
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAJEFM
dc.titleMicrofinance Interventions and Financial Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs in Eldama Ravine, Kenya
dc.typeArticle
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