The Effects of NGOs on Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women: Empirical Evidence from Some NGOs Operating in Ethiopia

Abstract

Women have been the most disadvantaged and discriminated sections of society all over the world, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the effects of NGOs on socio-economic empowerment of women by conceptualizing and developing five basic dimensions of women empowerment including income, saving, decision-making ability, expenditure level, and assets ownership rights of women based on empirical evidence from some NGOs operating in Ethiopia. To test the hypotheses in this paper the researcher targeted three NGOs operating in the study area for a long period of time. For analysis purposes data were collected from 80 respondents selected proportionally by stratified random sampling technique. Data collected classified, edited, and analyzed using SPSS V20. The result of the five hypotheses tested indicated the existence of a positive and significant statistical difference at 5% of significant level between prior and post involvement of women in the various intervention approaches mainly micro credit and training offered on different issues of empowerment by the NGOs to empower the women’ socio-economic perspectives.