LEVERAGING WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AS A STRATEGIC TOOL FOR POVERTY REDUCTION

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of women’s empowerment on poverty reduction in Kabale Municipality, Uganda. Specifically, the study sought to: (i) assess the effect of women’s access to productive resources on poverty reduction, (ii) establish how women’s participation in decision-making contributes to poverty reduction, and (iii) analyze the influence of women’s access to formal education on poverty reduction. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected from 301 participants using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (simple linear regression analysis) were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that women’s access to productive resources (r = .669**), participation in decision-making (r = .838**) and access to formal education all had strong and statistically significant effects on poverty reduction. The study concludes that women’s economic empowerment, participation in decision-making and access to education are critical drivers of poverty reduction in Kabale Municipality. The study further recommends that the government and development partners should strengthen initiatives that enhance women’s access to economic resources, leadership opportunities and formal education, while also addressing cultural barriers. Further research is suggested to deepen the understanding of these barriers and their influence on poverty reduction.</p><p><strong>JEL:</strong> I32 – Measurement and Analysis of Poverty, J16 – Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination, O15 – Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration, I25 – Education and Economic Development, Z13 – Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification, H53 – Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0488/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>