The Impact of Mobile Money Account Ownership on Women's Economic Empowerment in Rwanda

Abstract

Mobile money usage has grown popular in Rwanda due to the availability and cost effectiveness of mobile phones. Moreover, government financial services and moves to eliminate transactional fees on mobile money have contributed significantly to its popularity in Rwanda. There has been research on the influence of mobile money on economic growth in Sub-Saharan African economies, however there is less evidence on the impact of mobile money on women's economic empowerment, leaving need for more research. This thesis examines the relationship between mobile money and women's economic empowerment. It used secondary data from the Global Findex database of 2017, with the target demographic being Rwandan women. The relationship between mobile money and women's economic empowerment was investigated using bivariate analysis and the Pearson Chi-square test for independence. It was determined that the two variables are interdependent and that when a woman owns a mobile money account, she is likely to become economically empowered. From the results, mobile money positively affects economic empowerment and therefore this thesis recommends that government, public and private sectors that still pay their employees in cash to switch to mobile money instead of prompt cash. This will encourage more women to use mobile money, resulting in greater economic empowerment for women.