4.4. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The researcher expressed her interest to conduct microfinance
impact assessment among PTH through Duterimbere MFI women clients and their
path to economic development. It has been recognized that PTH through
Duterimbere MFI is doing an outstanding work to ensure transformation of lives
of Rwandan poor women who have been lagging behind economically due to
political, social and cultural barriers.
However, Rwandan academicians and the public alike do have
limited knowledge about intervention that PTH through Duterimbere MFI has been
providing to bring economic independent, pride, and confidence and build power
in decision making to the women clients.
4.4.1. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS FROM QUESTIONNAIRES
The results from our research have confirmed the contribution
of microfinance in women empowerment in Rwanda. Different questionnaires
answered by respondents have underlain the above assumption. Some of these
questions have evaluated the use of savings and credits in economical activity
for women empowerment, and this met the agreement of most of respondents.
Indeed, when the people resources are limited or no existent, they have to look
on low-income generating activities in order to gain money. In regards to the
socio-demographic variables, the majority of respondents are married,
self-employed, achieved only the primary level, and are aged between 18-25
years. This justifies the fact that respondents in the mentioned categories
deal with microfinance in terms of saving & credits for their survival. The
requirements to beneficiate the credit from the microfinance are flexible
rather than in other Banks. Currently in Rwanda, it has been evidenced that
none can get better economically without the credits and savings operations.
Further, another item has questioned about the change of
gender role and status within household & community by economically
developed-women. In the past, women in Rwanda were not considered with
appropriate dignity. Since they have been involved in business and other
responsibility, they have changed that mentality. From our research, most of
respondents have
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agreed with the statement. Effectively, women empowerment
affects their status not only in their place of residence but also within the
community, and this constitutes the sum or the result of their status change.
The women economically-developed need their involvement in income generating
business, which imply the use of saving and credit operations.
On the other hand, the women appreciation towards the
microcredit provided by Duterimbere IMF in their empowerment has been analyzed,
and most of respondent have expressed their wish to increase the amount of
credit offered by Duterimbere. All the same, the research has evidenced that
most of clients who benefit from Duterimbere's microcredit have agreed to be in
female low-income activities. This means that women who deal with Duterimbere
IMF would like to have more amount of credit for high income generating
activities. Obviously, it emphasizes that a low income generating activity
becomes later a high income generating activity, and justifies the contribution
of microfinance in women empowerment.
Thus, respondents have agreed that through the microcredit,
women may become economically self-sufficiency even with the absence of men
support. This confirms the part of microfinance in women empowerment because in
former times, the woman has been for a long time financially dependent on man.
Currently, as long as Rwanda still obsessed by the women promotion in various
domains, their financial self-sufficiency will strengthen and make easy the
process. Besides, the Rwanda cabinet meeting held on 27th June,
2012, approved the strategies which intend to facilitate women and young people
to accede to credit within financial institutions for their economical
development.
Moreover, the research has interestingly enough evidenced that
most of participants were strongly agreed not only that the microcredit offered
to women in context of family impacts positively its standing improvement, but
also that the family economy may be based on the women empowerment due to
savings and credit through microfinance. One thing is for sure, woman has
always been the pillar of the family economical development. Furthermore, it is
known that the family development goes hand in hand with the community
development. Then, the women involvement in savings and credit process towards
microfinance leads up to the community promotion through the family one.
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Based on the results of the present research, we intend to
emphasize on the strengthening of women empowerment through microfinance for
the following major achievements: firstly, as women constitute the high rations
among all Rwandan, they empowerment will become a key point in sustainable
development of the country. Secondly, the promotion of women through
microfinance enhances them to become more self-employed, and encourage gender
promotion which leads them to competitiveness with men. Thirdly, the
reinforcement of microfinance and the encouragement of people, women
especially, to deal with them contributes in poverty alleviation through
redaction of the rise in unemployment because people become job creator not job
seeker.
It is important to note that these results concern only PTH
through Duterimbere IMF and participants to the research. They can be
generalized neither to all microfinance institutions nor to all women who deal
with microfinance. Another limitation related to this research is linked to the
inaccessibility to all respondents for interview and observation of all their
projects. Thus, it has been difficult for us to evaluate with precision the
progression made by our respondents since it wasn't easy to eliminate all
factors which may have intervene in their economical development.
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