Microfinance and Women Empowerment in Madina in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Among the main objectives of microfinance intervention is to help women entrepreneurs grow their businesses and hence enhance their socio-economic well-being. The study therefore was conducted to assess the effect of microfinance on socio-economic well-being of women (or women empowerment) in Madina in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The study employed a survey design. By employing purposive, systematic and simple random sampling techniques, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 300 women micro-credit beneficiaries in the Madina in Accra,Ghana. SPSS was used to run regression to examine the correlation between microfinance and profit and hence economic well-being of the women entrepreneurs. It was found that microfinance indeed has a direct correlation with Profit and hence socio-economic well-being of women (women empowerment). Stated differently it was revealed that Microfinance has positively impacted on the women’s Profit, businesses and hence their socio-economic-wellbeing. However, there was a reasonable percentage of respondents who indicated that microfinance has rather made them worse off.