4.4.1. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS FROM
QUESTIONNAIRES
The results from my research have confirmed the contribution
of microfinance on women empowerment in Nyaruguru. Different questionnaires
answered by respondents have underlined 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 96.9% of respondents.
Indeed, when the people resources are limited or inexistent, 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 18-60
years. This justifies the fact that respondents in the mentioned categories
deal with microfinance in terms of saving & credits for their survival.
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, 95.3% of
respondents have 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 Vision Finance Company Ltd MFI in their empowerment has
been analyzed, and most of respondent have expressed their wish to increase the
amount of credit offered by Vision Finance Company Ltd. All the same, the
research has evidenced that most of clients who benefit from Vision Finance
Company Ltd's microcredit have agreed to be in female low-income activities.
This means that women who deal with Vision Finance Company Ltd MFI 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, 95.3% 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. 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.
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
percentage among all Rwandan, their 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 Vision
Finance Company Ltd 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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