Gender Analysis of Village Savings and Loan Association and its Community Development Implication in Anambra State

Abstract

Womens’ empowerment is a slow and incremental process, in which VSL can play a crucial role. To understand the impact of gender relations on VSLA interventions, and vice-versa, focusing on the perceptions of men and women participating in VSLA, household decision-making, and women’s access and control of VSLA resources, this paper focused on gender analysis of VSLA within communities in Awka North and Ayamelum LGA of Anambra states. The study consists of primary qualitative research with 400 participants (291 women and 109 men) in six intervention communities; Omor, Igbakwu, Ifite Ogwari, Mgbakwu, Ebenebe, and Amanuke. The analysis was focused on examining the influence of gender dynamics on VSLA, and VSLA on gender dynamics, relating to the woman herself, her household, the intervention, and the wider communities in Anambra State.