THE ROLE OF WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE PARTICIPANTS’ HOUSEHOLD IN ZANZIBAR TOWN

Abstract

Women economic empowerment is important tool in ensuring gender equality. For global community to better the lives of its members, gender equality is one of its strategies. There are various groups which are struggling to ensure that this goal is met. In this study Upendo Women Centre and Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Trust Fund (WEDTF) were studied. These organizations run economic empowering programs such as savings and loan facilities and other forms of credit facilities and training in sewing skills. However it was the desire of this research to bring to the attention as to what is the role of these programs on the livelihood of the participant’s household. Thus the objectives of this study were to describe the empowering programs, determine the social economic characteristics of the participants and identify the effect of the programs on the livelihood of the participant’s household. To meet these objectives the study employed cross-sectional design as there was only one contact with the population in data collection. To rectify limitations of cross-section that is restrictions in measuring change, two groups were used one group of non participants and another group comprising of participants of the programs. Data collection was through observation, interview and focus group discussion and instruments like semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion guide for focus group discussion were used. Data analysis was through SPSS for quantitative data and the decision was made after the statistical testing of the differences between the two groups through Chi-square test. For qualitative data comparative approach was used. Research found out that women economic empowerment lead to the improvement of the livelihood of the household members in education, health, food security, and employment. From this study the more women engage in empowering programs the more they impact their household positively. Thus there is need of ensuring that policies on credit, education and cultural issues are addressed to accelerate women economic empowerment and community development.