Enhancing Women Empowerment

Abstract

Microenterprises are a meaningful source of livelihood for rural and urban dwellers across the African landscape. In Kenya, majority of microenterprises are women-owned, demonstrating their importance in facilitating socio-economic empowerment. Literature points out that women-owned microenterprises often resort to borrowing from chamas or their close networks of friends and family to circumvent hindrances encountered when seeking formal finance. This study focuses on the role played by chamas in enhancing women empowerment and microenterprise growth on traders specializing in handicrafts in Kariokor market. To address its objectives, the study profiled the characteristics of women microenterprise owners involved in chamas; the essence of their involvement in these groups; and the subsequent change experienced in their livelihoods and personal status. The study employed the sustainable livelihoods theory to engender the activities and interactions influencing the sustenance and uplifting of livelihoods of women traders. To gain insight into lived chama experiences as perceived and interpreted by women micro-enterprise owners, the study employed a descriptive research design with qualitative data collection approaches. The study collected responses from 27 women-owned microenterprises with chama membership, five key informants and four focus group discussions. The study found that that most of the women microenterprise owners specialized in selling beadwork, had completed secondary education, sourced their start-up capital from personal savings and were introduced to handicraft trade, and chamas by their close social ties. The study also revealed that chama membership plays a crucial in facilitating the meeting of household needs, buying of stock, fulfilling personal aspirations and enhancement of business knowledge and creative skills. Nonetheless, due to endearing household and enterprise priorities, women traders are often unable to redirect chama funds to other businesses ventures. The study found that challenges encountered in chamas such

as irregular payments and members defaulting from MFI loans often leads to disempowerment and disbanding of groups. The study also found that despite their potential, chamas were not efficiently utilized by women microenterprise owners to engage with market authorities. Among others, the study recommends training on maintaining positive group dynamics and enlightenment on participatory decision making