Abstract:
This study assessed the contribution of NGOs to Women's Economic Empowerment
in Tanzania taking the case of Longido District in Tanzania. Specifically focusing on
the impact of capacity building, the effect of financial resilience strategies, and the
influence of market linkages on women's economic empowerment. The need for the
study arose because women are trapped in a permanent state of poverty, which
hinders their ability to achieve maximum capabilities and make contributions to the
economy. This study used a mixed-methods approach to look at how NGOs empower
women economically. Adopting a descriptive survey design, the approaches of
quantitative and qualitative data collecting were combined. Structured questionnaires
were administered to a sample of 125 women from NGOs to collect quantitative data.
In-depth interviews with 12 informants including community leaders and NGO
program managers also yielded qualitative insights that helped to deepen the
knowledge of unique experiences and program success. The regression analysis
found that 42.8% of WEE was significantly influenced by capacity-building (β =
0.377, p-value <0.001) including courses on skill development and training are rather
successful in improving women's economic potential. Likewise, mentoring reveals
that personal direction is vital for empowerment with a good effect on professional
and financial results. NGOs help women entrepreneurs improve market links (β =
0.248, p-value = 0.003) and financial resilience (β = 0.185, p-value =0.006). The
results show that the financial stability of women has been much enhanced by the
financial policies encouraged by NGOs, including savings practices and emergency
fund building. The study concluded that access to information about financial
resources and involvement in savings programs enhanced financial stability. Also,
the availability of credit and loans by NGOs has helped to make wise borrowing
decisions, therefore improving the financial performance of companies run by
women. Based on the results, it is advised that NGOs keep increasing support of
financial resilience methods, especially using savings and emergency funds
promotion. Continuous planning of trade fairs and networking activities to promote
cooperation among women-owned companies, supporting sustainable economic
development and the empowerment of women in society.
