SOCIO- ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN KIBERA SLUMS, NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Women with disabilities constitute a sizable population in Africa, with a majority living in poverty. Women living with disabilities have a lower employment rate of 19.6% than men with disabilities, who have a greater employment rate of 52.8%. This leaves them little choice but to hunt for self-employment in the unorganized sector through entrepreneurship through SMEs. Despite various social-economic empowerment initiatives, the majority continue to face social-economic barriers that prevent them from fully contributing to the country's economy. It is therefore critical to understand the social-economic empowerment initiatives on micro enterprise of women living with physical disabilities in Kibera slums. This study’s overall objective is to assess socio-economic empowerment initiatives and their impact on women living with physical disabilities in Kibera slums, Nairobi, Kenya. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed methods research design to interview women with disabilities living in Kibera slums. Data was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative techniques and findings triangulated. Key findings were there was low awareness level (22%) on the existences of socio – economic empowerment initiatives; main challenges include insufficient funding resources, poor communication on the registration process, strict selection criteria for financial support as well as high loan defaulter rate. The impact of these initiatives was increased business growth, skills development leading to increased employability and the ability to cater for one’s household needs. It is recommended that institutions focus more on capacity and skill building and allow members to control the income generating ideas to promote ownership of the initiatives. Among the support offered, financial support, training and provision of trade instruments were the key components highlighted. Given that most of them were in informal businesses, the training and skills development improved the participants employability, while building their capacity to run their own businesses. More needs to be done by the government as well as the funders of the NGOs in terms of increasing the funding to ensure extended coverage. As it is, due to constrained resources, only a few members have been lucky enough to benefit from the financial support, which has been prioritizing those in most need more research to be done on the effect of MSMEs on the livelihoods of women with disabilities and this study could be replicated in other geographical settings to further improve the generalizability of the study’s findings.