Income Generating Activities For Rural Women In Less Developed Countries Lessons From Experience PDF Download

OBJECTIVES: Increased capacity of the Ministry Depts. and village units to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate programmes providing skill training to rural women; programmes expanded and permanently established in targeted government depts. FINDINGS: The project has contributed to the government programme to train rural women in skills for income generating activities. Mechanisms have been established for in-service training, income generating training and support to the target group. Members of the coordinating committees at government and village levels have been identified and have undergone intensive skill training. New methods and structures have been established at all levels using existing government frameworks and resources which has helped to ensure the sustainability of the activities. Flexibility in adjusting methods to experience in the field has greatly improved staff efficiency and coordination. Continuous data flow ensures that results and constraints are addressed at all levels. A Revolving Loan Fund has been set up and is working satisfactorily. Repayments are expected on time and in full. The credit scheme is regularly adjusted to suit borrower's needs. Impact assessment difficult because of lack of socio-economic data. RECOMMENDS: A socio-economic survey of the population in the target villages be carried out before further expansion or replication of project activities. The planned impact study should include a comparative analysis. Economic criteria should be established for selecting loan beneficiaries to ensure they do not include unemployed women with higher education. The government should make use of the project's approach to expand and replicate the project as long as it stays committed to reaching the main target group of low-income women, takes into account the recommendations of the evaluation mission and provides resources for the Revolving Funds for women beneficiaries. LESSONS LEARNED: A pre-project socio-economic study of the village women is essential for measuring the eventual impact of the project on the beneficiaries.