A study to investigate awareness levels, benefits, impact and empowerment women get from income generating activities through micro-finance loans: A case of Pride Zambia Chainama Branch

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the levels of awareness, benefits, impact of micro-finance loans offered by PRIDE ZAMBIA on women empowerment.The target population of the study comprised women marketeers and officials at PRIDE ZAMBIA offices. The researcher used random sampling method and picked one hundred women marketeers and the four hundred women marketeers and four officials two from chainama branch and two from chachacha road branch.The research had 98% questionnaires duly completed by the respondents and returned. The data collected was critically analysed manually using tables of percentage frequencies and description through themes.The study revealed that there was no relationship between lack of women empowerment with beliefs, traditions, registration fees, consultation, location of PRIDE and illiteracy. However, the following were some of the factors that contributed to lack of permanent empowerment among women:Lack of legal trading places; Unsustainable (seasonal) business The weekly payment of loans; and Government's failure to build and allocate new market stand to the vulnerable. Women The study recommended the following among other things:PRIDE ZAMBIA to continue helping vulnerable women; Allow women to pay for their loans at month-ends; Continue publicizing Open centres in communities; PRIDE should also teach women on stock taking and records keeping Government should build more markets and consider the vulnerable when allocating new market stalls Government should provide loans to the vulnerable women, and Government must pass a law to stop street vending