| dc.description.abstract | In today’s competitive environment, most Village Saving and associations VSLAs face several challenges which highly hinder their performance or success, failures can occur in the process of saving and lending depending on level of incomes, access to collateral security and borrowing interest rate by participants. Rural women farmers have been actively participating in VSLAs, but faced several challenges including low incomes and lack of skills in saving which has consistently lowered their participation.
This study sought to analyze the factors influencing participation of rural women farmers in village saving and lending associations in Mbarara district, with focus on Rwanyamahembe Sub-county. The objectives of the study were to determine the demographic characteristics of rural women farmers in village saving and lending associations, to determine the factors influencing participation of rural women farmers in VSLAs and to identify the challenges faced by rural women farmers in fully utilizing VSLAs in Mbarara district.
Primary data was collected from a sample of 90 respondents (households) who were VSLA participants and non-participants (each group comprising of 45 respondents). Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results from comparisons of the social economic characteristics of VSLA participants and non-participants indicate that the average income of the VSLAs participants is statistically different from that of the non-participants, and the older women aged 37 years and above tend to actively participate than their younger counterparts. The findings also show that average income and source of incomes and high interest rate lowers their participation.
Basing on the results from this study, VSLAs are playing a significant role in improving rural household welfare, especially with women participation. It is therefore recommended that, the government should encourage and support the development of VSLAs for instance, community sensitization about the significance of saving | en_US |
