Microfinance and financial empowerment in Kenya: The case of Kenya women finance trust
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Date
2011-10Author
Mjomba, Elizabeth Mkazoya
Type
ThesisLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Bisnath and Elson (1999) state that microfinance typically focuses on women‟s
individual aspects, such as engagement in economic activities, productivity and
individual choice, at the expense of empowerment through changes in power structures
and gender relations. This emphasis on the individual aspects in turn makes
empowerment merely an instrument in achieving economic development. The study
objectives were to determine the extent to which KWFT has empowered women
financially and to determine its influence on reducing the gap between the lower and the
middle class income individuals in Kenya.
The study took a descriptive research design with an aim of establishing how establishing
how microfinance has been benefiting the women. The population of the study was the
customers of KWFT from the 12 branches in Nairobi. The study used simple stratified
sampling technique in coming up with the study‟s sample of 60 respondents; 5 per
branch. The study relied on primary data which were collected using semi-structured
questionnaires and then the completed questionnaires were coded and entries were made
into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The study made use of descriptive
analysis techniques to analyse the data.
The study found that microfinance‟s such as KWFT has easier procedure of obtaining
loans from MFIs than conventional banking‟ thus has the most significant effects
empowerment to women in lower class income individuals. The microfinance institution
also empower on entrepreneurship which in turn increases employment opportunities as
they were trained on how to invest and manage their finances. The study further
established that MFI financed their customers‟ development projects such as small-scale
businesses as well as in the expansion of old business through credit/loan. Finally the
study found that most of the customers of microfinance institutions were in the informal
employment, and MFI has greatly reduced the gap between the lower and and the middle
class income individuals by offering financial services to the lower class.
Sponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
School of business
Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5964]