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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dc.contributor.advisorMwatha, R. G.
dc.contributor.advisorMuia, D. M.
dc.contributor.authorTangut, Peninnah
dc.date.accessioned2015-01-27T07:04:53Z
dc.date.available2015-01-27T07:04:53Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.descriptionDepartment of Sociology, 102p. 2012, HG 4027.7 .T3en_US
dc.description.abstractThefocus 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 Institutionsen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/12107
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.titleEffects of women's access to business credit on gender relations in rural households: a case of Uasin Gishu county, Kenyaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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