The Effect of Women Empowerment through Self-Help Groups on Poverty Reduction in Rural Ghana: A Case Study of Elmina in Ghana
1
조회
0
다운로드
0
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
Women empowerment is one of the most discussed issues in the present world, especially in developing countries. Ghana is one of the developing countries with the majority 51percent of its population being women. Since achieving independence, poverty has been dominating here. Governments, civil society organizations, development practitioners and bilateral as well as multilateral development organizations have over the past three or so decades worked and continue to do so towards reducing national and global poverty. This drive led to an emergence of different policy interventions, which are human centered. Key among these policy interventions is the empowerment of women who are identified as the most vulnerable, suffering disproportionately from poverty and its consequences. This explains why world leaders, with the turn of this millennium, dedicated two of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to work towards bridging the gap between men and women and improving maternal health. These can only be achieved through the empowerment of women. The study revealed a number of findings which include: diverse nature of SHGs with about 47 percent being formed along economic, 33 percent along religious and 20 percent along social lines respectively; skill training, education and low interest credit facilities are some of the strategies adopted in empowering women through SHGs. The extent of women’s empowerment through the SHGs have impact on poverty reduction in the municipality and is commendable. But not withstanding this fact, a number of hindrances are encountered by these women and this impedes the smooth operations of their groups in empowering women, for example, lack of capital,low literacy levels of the members, high interest rates amongst others. In view of these findings, a number of proposals were made to enhance the empowerment of women through SHG’s. These include the following: Government subsidies on operational cost,education, low interest and accessible loans, women policies amongst others.
Abstract
Women empowerment is one of the most discussed issues in the present world, especially in developing countries. Ghana is one of the developing countries with the majority 51percent of its population being women. Since achieving independence, poverty has been dominating here. Governments, civil society organizations, development practitioners and bilateral as well as multilateral development organizations have over the past three or so decades worked and continue to do so towards reducing national and global poverty. This drive led to an emergence of different policy interventions, which are human centered. Key among these policy interventions is the empowerment of women who are identified as the most vulnerable, suffering disproportionately from poverty and its consequences. This explains why world leaders, with the turn of this millennium, dedicated two of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to work towards bridging the gap between men and women and improving maternal health. These can only be achieved through the empowerment of women. The study revealed a number of findings which include: diverse nature of SHGs with about 47 percent being formed along economic, 33 percent along religious and 20 percent along social lines respectively; skill training, education and low interest credit facilities are some of the strategies adopted in empowering women through SHGs. The extent of women’s empowerment through the SHGs have impact on poverty reduction in the municipality and is commendable. But not withstanding this fact, a number of hindrances are encountered by these women and this impedes the smooth operations of their groups in empowering women, for example, lack of capital,low literacy levels of the members, high interest rates amongst others. In view of these findings, a number of proposals were made to enhance the empowerment of women through SHG’s. These include the following: Government subsidies on operational cost,education, low interest and accessible loans, women policies amongst others.
참고문헌 (22)
- Bateman, M., "Why Doesn‟t Microfinance Work? The Destructive Rise of Local Neoliberalism" (2010), Zed Books
- Bhasin, K., "Understanding Gender: Women Unlimited (Kali for Women)" (2004)
- Choi Oe-chool, "Towards a Safer and Happier World: Sharing and Practicing Saemaul Spirit", Global Saemaul Leadership Forum 2014 (2014)
- Women’s Rights and Gender Equality: The New Aid Environment and Civil Society Organisations, "Collinson, H.", Gender and Development Network, ~ (2008)
- Cornell Empowerment Group, "Empowerment and Family Support", Networking Bulletin, 1, pp.1~23 (2007)
- Deshmukh, N., "Women’s Empowerment through Panchayati Raj Institutions: A Case Study of Wambori Gram Panchayat in Maharashtra", Indian Journal of Public Administration, 51(2), pp.192~198 (2005)
- Edelman, M., "Political Language: Words That Succeed and Policies That Fail" (2003), Academic Press
- Fernandez, A. P., "The Myrada Experience: Alternate Management System for Savings and Credit of the Rural Poor" (1998), Myrada
- Friedman, J., "Empowerment; The Politics of Alternative Development" (1992), Blackwell
- Ghana Statistical Service, "Ghana Living Standards Survey 4: Report of the Fourth Round" (2000), Ghana Statistical Service
- Kwapong, O., "Policy Implications for Using ICTs for Empowerment of Rural Women in Ghana", The Turkish Online Journal of Education Technology, 7(3), pp.32~45 (2008)
- Manimekalai, N, "Empowering Women Self Help Groups and Microenterprises", ~ (2007)
- McClelland, D. C., "Power: The Inner Experience" (2008), Irvington Press
- National Development Planning Commission, "Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), (2010-2013)", Policy Framework, ~ (2010)
- Parmar, A., "Microcredit, Empowerment, and Agency: Re-evaluating the Discourse", Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 24(3), pp.461~476 (2003)
- Parsons, R. J., "Empowerment Based Social Work Practice: A Study of Process and Outcome", Paper presented to the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education (2005)
- Rappaport, J., "The New Populism: The Politics of Empowerment" (2001), Temple University Press
- Rappaport, J., "Terms of Empowerment", Exemplars of Prevention: Toward a Theory for Community Psychology, 2002, pp.15(2), 121~143
- Séverine, D., "An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach: Freedom and Agency" (2009), Earthscan
- "Gender Equality: Empowering Women" (2005)[URL]
- Whitmore, E., "Empowerment and the Process of Inquiry", A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work (2000)
- "Women’s Empowerment: Measuring the Global Gender Gap" (2005)[URL]