Do Women-owned Social Enterprises Have Equal Access to Financial Resources? Experiences from Nyamira County, Kenya

Anne Chepkurui, Peter Gutwa Oino & George Ezekiel Aberi
School of Arts and Social Sciences
Department of Sociology, Gender an d Development Studies
Kisii University, Kenya.
Email: annechepkurui2@gmail.com

Abstract: Over the years, women-owned social enterprises have had both positive and negative outcomes. Guided by social entrepreneurship theoretical foundations, this paper examines how financial access and utilization by women-owned social enterprises influence household socio-economic wellbeing. The study adopted descriptive research design. The target population was women social entrepreneurs and the sample size was 280 registered women-owned social enterprises in Nyamira County. Simple random sampling was used to obtain data from women entrepreneurs. Purposive sampling was used to sample 4 officials and 5 group leaders. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. Data was analysed using SPSS-Version 25. Analysed quantitative data were presented using tables, graphs, pie charts and percentages. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis and findings were presented using texts and verbatim quotations. The result of the findings revealed that inadequate access to funds forces women entrepreneurs to start up small business using their own savings and capital from chamas, which is not even adequate. It was also found that lack of networks and knowledge also constrain women entrepreneurship, since men have more social connections th at enable them to access business opportunities, information, and contacts than women. The study concludes that women are disadvantaged with fewer professional connections, role models, and mentorship opportunities, which can adversely affect their social enterprises in the long run. The study recommends that women social entrepreneurs be allowed to equal opportunity in accessing financial resources and be trained on utilization of the financial resources for sustainability of their social enterprises.