Effect of Women cross-border traders on promoting wellbeing of women in Rubavu District.Case of Petite Barrère (2022-2024)

Abstract

Petite Barriere is an informal cross-border operation in Rubavu between Rwanda and Goma. The study enables women to trade on the border to improve their living conditions. This study aims to analyze the effects of informal cross-border trade on the well-being of women. The following specific objectives guided the study in assessing the effects of women traders in Petite Barriere on women's livelihoods in Rubavu District and to identify the challenges faced by women traders in Petite Barriere. This study used 100 respondents made up from a population of 71,775 cross-border traders at Petite Barriere, 1 leader and 1 local authority in Rubavu District, then the stratified random sampling was employed to select the sample size. The results found that that 45.0% of respondents emphasized that women traders helped its members secure food. Besides, 56.0% of respondents said that they increased household income and savings. Meanwhile, 67.0% of respondents stated they have clean water access. The research shows a significant improvement in those with monthly revenue greater than 100,000 from 0% to 60.0%. Those with income range between 70,000 to 100,000 from 7.0% to 50.0%, beneficiaries with monthly income generated from 50,001 to 70,000 have improved from 18.0% to 80.0% as most respondents. Almost half, from 60% to 90.0%, have reduced those with a monthly income of less than 20,000. It indicated that the education of the adherent members and their families before and after joining women traders at Petite Barriere in Rubavu; before adherent cooperatives, the majority of respondents 49 equivalent to 25.0% confirmed that the situation of education payment of school fees was moderate and complex compared to the situation after adherent the saving and credit cooperative the majority of respondents 41 equivalents to 41.0% confirmed easy, with the data collected from respondents. The research found that challenges accounted for by women traders in Petite Barriere in Rubavu District as 65.0% of respondents faced family responsibility challenges, same as gender inequality in respective families, 30.0%of respondents had a problem with a low level of education/language barrier during business, 70.0% of respondents faced inadequate access to finance challenge. In comparison, 20.0% of respondents revealed that this cooperative has a significant challenge of lack of experience in business, and lastly, 100.0% of the respondents encountered a COVID- 19 lockdown, which block businesses. Furthermore, high taxes at Petite Barriere is another challenge faced by the women traders while imbalance prices/lack of market opportunities with 50.0%.This study recommends Rubavu District should further invest in ensuring that members of women traders, who are literate and numerate. This can be done by offering training and workshops to the cooperative members and to link women traders with financial service providers offering loans and other relevant financial services.