Village savings and loans association participation and impact on off-farm income among rural women

Richard Kwasi Bannor, Helena Oppong-Kyeremeh, Mercy Derkyi, Albert Yingura Adombila and Ernest Christlieb Amrago

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 2020, vol. 14, issue 4, 539-562

Abstract: Purpose - This paper aims to examine the factors that influence rural women’s participation in Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) and the savings contribution in the Kassena-Nankana West District of Ghana. The study also analysed the impact of VSLA participation on off-farm income and on poverty. Design/methodology/approach - In total, 120 rural women were selected for this study. The probit and heteroskedasticity linear regression models were used to examine the factors that influence VSLA participation and the savings made by members, respectively. The propensity score matching technique, coupled with Rosenbaum Sensitivity analysis, were used to analyse the impact of VSLA on off-farm income and poverty. Findings - Demographic and livelihood factors such as human, natural, financial, physical and social capitals have different influences on the participation and the savings contribution in the VSLA. Moreover, VSLA has a significant impact on off-farm income; however, it did not affect poverty. Originality/value - Despite the numerous studies on VSLA, there is little evidence of literature of its impact on off-farm income of rural women in West Africa, specifically, Ghana. Thus, this paper expands the frontiers of the existing literature on VSLA impact assessment and the factors that influence the savings made by women in the association.

Keywords: Village savings and loans association; Rural women; Off-farm income; Impact assessment; Upper east region; Ghana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jecpps:jec-04-2020-0058

DOI: 10.1108/JEC-04-2020-0058

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