Enhancing Women’s Household Reproductive Roles Through Microfinance: A Study Of Women Traders In Tema, Ghana

Microfinance has been identified as one of the most significant innovations in poverty reduction policy. This study which took place in Tema Community Two, Ghana hypothesized that microfinance can empower women economically, and contribute to the welfare of households, but it may also compromise the reproductive role of women as wives, mothers and home makers. The descriptive design was adopted for this study because the researcher sought to ascertain the role microfinance play in reinforcing reproductive roles by women who use microfinance and the welfare of the women and their families. The findings, however, revealed that the women contributed the larger portion of their income to household consumption, thus enhancing their reproductive roles. The children of the microfinance borrowers also reap the benefits, as the income generated by the women was often invested in the children’s education. The respondents helped their husbands with the income largely by helping pay the children school fees and, medical bills with some even helping to acquire immovable assets. The study therefore recommends that more women should be encouraged to participate in microfinance programs to improve their status.