WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND HOUSEHOLD SOCIO-ECONOMIC WELL-BEING IN RWANDA A CASE OF FORMER STREET WOMEN TRADERS IN KIMISAGARA SECTOR

Abstract

The study conducted is titled: Women’s empowerment and Households Socio-Economic Wellbeing in Rwanda. A case of Street Women Traders in the Kimisagara sector. The study objectives were, to assess the factors that influence women involvement in street trading activities and their consequences to determine the extent to which street women traders’ empowerment policies and programs in Kimisagara sector contribute to their socio-economic wellbeing, to identify the challenges that hinder street women traders’ empowerment in Kimisagara sector, and to propose strategies to overcome the challenges that hinder the street women traders’ empowerment in Kimisagara sector. In conducting this study, descriptive research design with the mixture of qualitative and quantitative design were adopted. And purposive sampling technique were used in selecting the sample. Questionnaire, interview, and documentation were used in data collection while descriptive and narrative analysis were used in data analysis. the study finds that the factors that influence women to be involved in the street trading activities are, limited employment opportunities and lack of education and training. The study also finds the contribution of women empowerment policies and programs to the socio-economic wellbeing are rent free periods for street women traders have increased their income and the establishment of cooperative and saving groups influenced the women street’s human capital. The study finds the challenges that hinder the empowerment of women street traders are insufficiency access to affordable credit and financial resources and Gender-based Violence in public spaces. The study recommends that microcredit facilities should be made accessible and skills development programs could be tailored.