Participation of Women in Rural Saving and Credit Cooperatives and Its Effects on Household Saving: The Case of Kedida Gamela Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Women participation in rural saving and credit cooperatives is one of the means to get credit/loan to start income generating activities and to improve the living standard of the household as well as their savings in kedida Gamela woreda southern Ethiopia. The study used cross- sectional survey design. Multi-stage sample selection method was employed. In the first stage, the woreda was selected purposely. In the second stage, RUSACCOs were selected through simple random sampling procedure. In the third stage.193 respondents were selected from stratified participant and non-participant women from sampled kebele RUSACCOs using systematic random sampling technique. Primary data were collected through structured interviews, key informants and focus group discussion. The data were analyzed with the SPSS (version 20). Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentage, t-test, chi-square test, logistic regression and multiple linear regression models were used for data analysis. The results showed that 68.8% sampled women had increased their household saving and income but 32.2% showed no change in their household saving. Logistic regression model result revealed that women participation in RUSACCO was significantly affected by access to loan, level of education and participation in extension. On the other hand multiple regression models results revealed that household saving was significantly affected by educational level of respondents, access to loan, interest rate and participation in extension. This study recommends that the RUSACCOs, government and different NGOs should work closely for improving household saving and income.

Keywords: Women participation in RUSACCO and its effects on household saving.

DOI: 10.7176/DCS/9-12-04

Publication date: December 31^st 2019