How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, Uganda
ABSTRACT Background and Aims Village savings and loan association (VSLA) is a widely adopted informal microfinance mechanism designed to empower women financially. However, limited studies have examined how gender and women's marital status influence VSLA‐related gains and fund usage. This stud...
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Wiley
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Health Science Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70597 |
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| author | HaEun Lee Alex Shen Alia Dada Isabel Gilbertson Cheryl A. Moyer Donah Asiimire |
| author_facet | HaEun Lee Alex Shen Alia Dada Isabel Gilbertson Cheryl A. Moyer Donah Asiimire |
| author_sort | HaEun Lee |
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| description | ABSTRACT Background and Aims Village savings and loan association (VSLA) is a widely adopted informal microfinance mechanism designed to empower women financially. However, limited studies have examined how gender and women's marital status influence VSLA‐related gains and fund usage. This study aims to assess whether rural Ugandan VSLA members' gender and marital status impact their financial gains and fund usage. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 132 participants in five VSLAs in Fort Portal, Uganda. Participants were categorized as married women, single/never married women, widowed/separated women, and VSLA‐participating men. The survey included questions on asset ownership, expenditures, and usage of VSLA funds for income‐generating activities (IGAs) and life events (LEs). Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were used to assess relationships between gender, marital status, asset ownership, and fund usage. Results VSLA‐participating women owned fewer overall assets (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71–0.92) than men but utilized VSLA funds more extensively (AOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.16–1.70), particularly for LEs (AOR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.29–2.01). Single/never married women owned fewer assets (AOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70–0.98) compared to married women. Their asset ownership leaned toward LEs (AOR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.53–0.99), while VSLA fund usage prioritized IGAs (AOR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.00–3.40) compared to married women. Conclusion Significant differences exist in VSLA fund usage and gains based on gender and marital status. Women, particularly single women, face asset ownership disparities but strategically utilize VSLA funds. Future studies should investigate gender dynamics within VSLAs and explore tailored strategies to address the specific needs of women across marital statuses for inclusive financial empowerment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a2f9230794ff48729fc682a256e087e8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2398-8835 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Health Science Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-a2f9230794ff48729fc682a256e087e82025-08-20T02:11:03ZengWileyHealth Science Reports2398-88352025-04-0184n/an/a10.1002/hsr2.70597How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, UgandaHaEun Lee0Alex Shen1Alia Dada2Isabel Gilbertson3Cheryl A. Moyer4Donah Asiimire5Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership University of Michigan School of Nursing Ann Arbor Michigan USADepartment of Statistics and Data Science Carnegie Mellon University Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USAGlobal Health Epidemiology University of Michigan School of Public Health Ann Arbor Michigan USAGlobal Health Epidemiology University of Michigan School of Public Health Ann Arbor Michigan USALearning Health Sciences Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USADepartment of Economics, Statistics, and Tourism Management Bishop Stuart University Mbarara UgandaABSTRACT Background and Aims Village savings and loan association (VSLA) is a widely adopted informal microfinance mechanism designed to empower women financially. However, limited studies have examined how gender and women's marital status influence VSLA‐related gains and fund usage. This study aims to assess whether rural Ugandan VSLA members' gender and marital status impact their financial gains and fund usage. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 132 participants in five VSLAs in Fort Portal, Uganda. Participants were categorized as married women, single/never married women, widowed/separated women, and VSLA‐participating men. The survey included questions on asset ownership, expenditures, and usage of VSLA funds for income‐generating activities (IGAs) and life events (LEs). Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were used to assess relationships between gender, marital status, asset ownership, and fund usage. Results VSLA‐participating women owned fewer overall assets (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71–0.92) than men but utilized VSLA funds more extensively (AOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.16–1.70), particularly for LEs (AOR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.29–2.01). Single/never married women owned fewer assets (AOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70–0.98) compared to married women. Their asset ownership leaned toward LEs (AOR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.53–0.99), while VSLA fund usage prioritized IGAs (AOR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.00–3.40) compared to married women. Conclusion Significant differences exist in VSLA fund usage and gains based on gender and marital status. Women, particularly single women, face asset ownership disparities but strategically utilize VSLA funds. Future studies should investigate gender dynamics within VSLAs and explore tailored strategies to address the specific needs of women across marital statuses for inclusive financial empowerment.https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70597gendermarital statusmicrofinancesavings groupsub–Saharan Africausage |
| spellingShingle | HaEun Lee Alex Shen Alia Dada Isabel Gilbertson Cheryl A. Moyer Donah Asiimire How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, Uganda Health Science Reports gender marital status microfinance savings group sub–Saharan Africa usage |
| title | How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, Uganda |
| title_full | How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, Uganda |
| title_fullStr | How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, Uganda |
| title_short | How Do Gender and Marital Status Influence Village Savings and Loan Associations Related Gains and Usage? A Cross‐Sectional Study in Fort Portal, Uganda |
| title_sort | how do gender and marital status influence village savings and loan associations related gains and usage a cross sectional study in fort portal uganda |
| topic | gender marital status microfinance savings group sub–Saharan Africa usage |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70597 |
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