Evaluation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Access to Microcredits in Kigamboni District, Tanzania

Abstract

Women’s microcredit initiatives represent a significant step towards gender-inclusive financial empowerment. In Tanzania, Local Government Authorities loan schemes significantly provide women microcredits. While this initiative represents a substantial step toward women’seconomic empowerment, its effectiveness remains under-explored as it is still a new microcredit intervention. Thus, this study examined women-led enterprises supported by LGA loan programs and investigates the challenges women entrepreneurs face in accessing and utilising these loans in Kigamboni District, Dar es Salaam. The study involved 45 participants from ten women groups. Interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect qualitative data. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings show that through government-led microcredits, women invested in various enterprises, such as transportation sector (three wheeled motorcycle, waste collection truck), poultry keeping and vegetable gardening. However, women beneficiaries were constrained by loan institutional arrangements and inadequate marketing and entrepreneurship skills. Therefore, strengthening the role of LGAs in managing women’s microcredit schemes and capacity building on entrepreneurship skills for women groups are recommended.