Impact assessment of entrepreneurship development on rural women’s micro-enterprises in Muheza and Handeni districts: the case of unifem project in Tanga region
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Date
2001
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
The study was conducted in four villages, two each from Muheza and Handeni districts
in Tanga region. The overall objective of the study was to assess how an
entrepreneurship development programme/project funded by UNIFEM between 1991-
1995 had contributed to development of micro-enterprises and improved the economic
status of rural women in the study area. The specific objectives were to: (i) determine
the number and performance of micro-enterprises established during and after the
UNIFEM project, (ii) assess how the project’s entrepreneurship development approach
(PEDA) had helped to improve the women's capacity to run micro-enterprises,
(iii) determine the contribution of PEDA to the improvement of the economic status of
the women who were under the project, and (iv) identify factors that influence women’s
entrepreneurship development. The study involved a survey of 64 rural women (32
project beneficiaries and 32 non-project beneficiaries). Data were mainly obtained
using a questionnaire. The findings of the study revealed that agriculture was the
predominant kind of activity (enterprise) carried by the women before the
establishment of the project During and after the project, there was a significant
increase in the number and types of micro-enterprises established. Assessment of the
performance of the enterprises showed that Project beneficiaries (PBs) generally faired
better than their non-beneficiaries (NPBs) counterparts although the levels of
development and profitability of the enterprises established was very low. The study
also showed that the project had significantly contributed to the improvement of the
capacity of the PBs to run micro-enterprises as well as their economic status than their
NPBs counterparts. The need for a continuous availability of credit facilities, continued
technical support and training and availability of reliable infrastructure were identified
as critical to the women's micro-enterprises and entrepreneurship development. The
study recommends to planners, policy makers and non-governmental organisations, to
continue supporting projects of this nature and direct more effort in the creation of aiii
more enabling environment and a more sustainable system of developing
entrepreneurship as a strategy for poverty alleviation among rural women in the
country.
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Thesis
Keywords
Entrepreneurship development, Rural women’s, Micro-enterprises, Unifem project