Effects of women's access to business credit on gender relations in rural households: a case of Uasin Gishu county, Kenya
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Date
2012
Authors
Tangut, Peninnah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Thefocus of this study was the effects of women's access to business credit on gender relations in
rural households in Kenya. The study was conducted in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. It is
indisputable that gender relations are important for human development. The specific objectives
were: To establish the socio-economic characteristics of the women entrepreneurs and their
spouses; to determine and analyze the effects of credit on the women's enterprises; to determine
the effects of access to micro enterprise credit on gender relations and to explore and make
recommendations on ways of enhancing positive gender relations in rural households within the
context of micro enterprise financing for women. The sampling frame was obtained from the Kenya
Agency for Development of Enterprise and Technology (KADET), which was one of the micro
finance institutions operating in the District. The sampling unit was the woman entrepreneur and
Key informants included credit officers of the institution; local community opinion leaders and local
government officials. A total of 117 women, 20 men and 8 key informants including two local
opinion leaders (both men and women), KADET credit officers and a government official in Uasin
Gishu County were interviewed. The hypotheses tested were: H01: Access to credit has no effect
on women's enterprises and H02: Access to business credit has no effect on household gender
relations. Data was analyzed using Chi-Square and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation
Coefficient; and also analyzed and presented in summarized tables and charts. The findings
indicated that micro enterprise financing had helped many women start and run their own small
businesses in the rural areas. This had given the women a form of economic empowerment they
did not previously have as they were now able to own property and also get involved in decision
making with their husbands on the home front. Many of the women revealed that their husbands
now respected them even more and sought their opinions on matters previously considered the
men's domain, especially on matters concerning land. The study also revealed that many of the
women now had increased work roles and had had to resort to hiring help and in some cases
curtailing the expansion of their businesses due to household responsibilities. The women were
however philosophicai about their increased work loads which they viewed as the price of success.
They had gained confidence in themselves and their status in their households and community had
improved. The study's recommendations included the need to raise more awareness on availability
of credit to women; the importance of involving men to support their wives more both on the
. domestic front and in their business and the provision of basic business skills and lessons and
mentoring to women entrepreneurs to help improve their businesses. The risk of defaulting and its
consequences seemed to be a great impediment to the entrepreneurs and other would be
borrowers in the District at the time of carrying out the study. There is need therefore for further
research on the issue of loan defaulting by women and its consequences to the entrepreneur, her
fellowgroup members and implications on Micro Finance Institutions
Description
Department of Sociology, 102p. 2012, HG 4027.7 .T3