Empowering rural women through income-generating projects : a case study in Jordan

الملخص EN

The current study aimed to assess the following : the socioeconomic characteristics of women borrowers and their families ; The Quality of projects, purposes and sufficiency of loans, and identify the difficulties faced during the lending and implementation process ; and finally, to assess the socioeconomic impacts of the projects on women and their families.

Data were collected using a questionnaire designed for the present study.

The sample was fifty women borrowers in Northern area of Jordan.

Results revealed that respondents were generally not well educated, with low family income almost around or below the poverty line, family size were high, employment status for husbands were not so well, and majority of the projects focused mainly on livestock which is popular in rural areas.

The Projects provided additional income and work opportunity for women, improved their status within their families and community, elevated their confidence and self-esteem.

Most complaints were related to management, marketing of products, inadequacy of funds and collaterals.

The study concluded with a number of recommendations tackling these problems and obstacles to such initiatives.