An Evaluation of Performance of Self Help Groups In Empowerment of Women: A Case of Selected Women Groups in Chipata District

Mwanza, Josephine (2016) An Evaluation of Performance of Self Help Groups In Empowerment of Women: A Case of Selected Women Groups in Chipata District. Masters thesis, University of Zambia.

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Abstract

In an effort to promote women empowerment, the U.N General Assembly in 1974 passed a resolution emphasizing the priorities of women, their role and participation in socio-economic development and the need to integrate them fully into the development agenda. Micro-credit groups and Self Help Groups (SHGs), commonly known as women groups or women clubs, are some examples of the group-based models used for women empowerment. The Government of Zambia has initiated and implemented various programmes aimed at empowering women through SHGs. One such programme being implemented is the economic empowerment of women through the provision of grants as start-up capital and equipment to SHGs by the Ministry of Community Development and Ministry of Gender and Child Development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of Self Help Groups in the empowering of women in Chipata Central Constituency. A total of 102 respondents participated in the study that is, 100 women who were beneficiaries of government’s women economic empowerment grant and 2 key informants. Purposive and random sampling was used to draw the sample. The study conducted structured interviews with 20 women group leaders, 10 focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with 2 key informants to collect data. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis was employed to come out with the empirical findings. The study revealed that the participation of women in SHGs impacted positively on their livelihood. Women empowerment groups are playing major role in alleviating poverty among women, and earn income which helps them to support their families. The assertiveness and confidence which women gain further help them to participate in decision making at home and community at large. The groups adopted the strategy of loaning their members to enable them to start individual Income Generating Activities (IGAs) thereby reduced the economic dependency upon other family members. Most women were able to meet their practical gender needs, as well as their children’s school requisites with income raised from IGAs. However, the findings revealed that SHGs in Chipata are not performing well. Causes and factors that were possibly beyond the control of the poor performance of those women groups were attributed to the lack of business shelters, low education levels among members of SHGs, low participation and conflicts among members. Furthermore, the present study established that misuses of resources, lack of training and having little or no funding were among causes that are hindering the performance of SHGs. The study recommends that more targeted attention must be paid to the funding and training of women in SHGs prior to the project and also monitoring of group projects by the government should be enhanced in order to minimise the potential of failure of those SHGs.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions:	Africana
Depositing User:	Geoffrey Obatsa
Date Deposited:	17 Dec 2018 07:59
Last Modified:	17 Dec 2018 07:59
URI:	http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/8661

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