Arts and Social Sciences Journal

A Local NGOS Role in the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in the Upper West Region of Ghana: Evidence from House of Liberation for Empowerment (HOLFE)

Abstract

Abdel-Kadri Fuseini* and Beatrice Yayra Amati

The study examined the role of a local NGO (House of Liberation for Empowerment (HOLIFE) in economic empowerment of rural women in the Upper West Region, Ghana. It delved into the factors constraining women economic empowerment, assessed HOLIFE strategies adopted in promoting women economic empowerment and further identified the challenges facing HOLIFE organization in the discharge of its duties in the study areas. The paper builds on a case study of HOLIFE-NGO engaged in women empowerment so far in five districts in the upper west region. The study adopted in-depth interviews with three HOLIFE top management staff, one focus group discussions held in each beneficiary district with nine-teen women beneficiaries and semi-structured interviews with twenty-five HOLIFE district based executives from the five beneficiary districts (five each from the five districts). The collected data were analyzed and presented as frequency distribution percentages, direct quotations and narratives. The study revealed the following as factors militating against women economic empowerment in the study area; thus lack of access to farmland, cultural practices, inaccessibility to credit, lack of extension services and Illiteracy. However, the women beneficiaries are with the opinion that HOLIFE is highly contributing to uplifting their economic empowerment. It was further revealed that HOLIFE uses the following strategies to empower its women includes; awareness campaign/advocacy campaign; skill training programs; loan with a low-interest rate; and capacity building. Despite the effectiveness of the strategies, the following factors impede HOLIFE smooth operations thus insufficient fund, poor roads, irregularity in membership meetings, illiteracy and product marketing challenge. It is recommended that the government as well as donors should help reduce the constraining factors of local NGOs in the country to ensuring their smooth operations towards women empowerment.