ROLE OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN EMPOWERING WOMEN ECONOMICALLY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Leadership by women can be seen as empowering women economically in terms of entrepreneurship, financial freedom, development of skills, and participation in financial decision-making. This research aims to investigate the role of women leaders in promoting economic empowerment of women through community credit, business advice, vocational skills, financial education, and mentoring. Based on the interpretivist philosophy, the study employed purposive sampling to include five women leaders and twenty beneficiary women. Thematic analysis was carried out on the semi-structured interviews conducted. The results focus on entrepreneurship and income generation, financial education and resource management, financial decision-making in households, and the remaining obstacles to women’s economic engagement. One example of a community credit program that has benefitted over 200 women is the establishment of small businesses. In the participants’ view, empowerment goes beyond the availability of money to include earning of income, financial independence, and increased influence in making financial decisions at the household level.