Women's Economic Empowerment Through CGSL Participation in Patriarchal Rural Contexts: Evidence from South Sudan

This article examines how participation in Community Group Saving and Lending (CGSL) mechanisms can strengthen women's economic empowerment in patriarchal rural contexts in South Sudan. It re-analyses doctoral field-survey and interview evidence collected in Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Lakes State between 2022 and 2025, focusing on the gendered meaning of savings mobilisation, small loans, capacity building, group trust and agricultural investment. The quantitative evidence comprised 81 valid survey responses from an intended sample of 85, including 25 women and 56 men. The qualitative component included 17 interviews that highlighted CGSL support in financial literacy, farming tools and technical training. Descriptive analysis showed strong agreement that CGSLs provide credit alternatives for poor farmers, mobilise small savings, build local capacity and support agricultural finance. The strongest empowerment-relevant findings were the high scores for CGSLs as member-managed entities, the importance of savings for poverty reduction and the perceived role of rural finance in productivity. Hypothesis testing indicated a significant association between CGSL participation and agricultural productivity, while logistic regression showed that access to CGSL credit significantly influenced decisions to invest in modern agricultural technologies. The article argues that CGSLs can empower rural women when they move beyond loan access to strengthen household bargaining, productive asset accumulation, market participation and collective voice. However, empowerment remains constrained by land inequality, patriarchal decision-making, low literacy, conflict exposure, weak formal finance and limited long-term capital. The study recommends gender-sensitive CGSL product design, women-centred savings rules, seasonal loan products, financial-literacy modules, safeguards for control over loan benefits, and stronger partnerships among government, NGOs and community groups.