Gender Analysis of Village Savings and Loans (ECRP)

Womens’ empowerment is a slow and incremental process, in which village and savings loan groups (VSL) can play a crucial role. In order to understand the impact of gender relations on VSL interventions, and vice-versa, focusing on the perceptions of men and women participating in VSL, household decision-making, and women’s access and control of VSL resources, Christian Aid commissioned a Gender and Power Analysis of VSL within ECRP.

The study consists of a literature and document review, and primary qualitative research with 330 participants (191 women and 139 men) in 5 ECRP intervention districts; Kasungu, Mwanza, Mulanje, Nsanje, and Machinga. The analysis will progress by examining the influence of gender dynamics on VSL, and VSL on gender dynamics, relating to the woman herself, her household, the intervention, and the wider community.