The Impact of Micro-Credit Intervention on Female Labor Force Participation in Income-Generating Activities in Rural Households of North Wollo, Ethiopia

We examined the impact of micro-credit on female labor participation in income-generating activities in rural households of North Wollo, Ethiopia. The study employed selection and average treatment effect models to determine the effect and impact of credit intervention on the decision of women to participate in income-generating activities and their level of engagement. A total of 460 households, participants and nonparticipants of the credit scheme, from three woredas of North Wollo Administrative zone was selected using systematic random sampling. Using the primary data, the study found that micro-credit has positive and significant effect both on women’s decisions to participate in income-generating activities, and the magnitude of time spent on such activities. In particular, the study showed that, on average, women who had access to credit facilities spent 4.45 more hours of time on income-generating activities than the control group. The average time spent by women in the control group in income-generating activities was 1.39 hours. The average treatment effect (ATE) was found to be considerably greater than the average treatment effect among the treated (ATET) implying that poor women with less entrepreneurial capabilities had been targeted for credit participation. Future policies in micro-credit should consider targeting women with better potential for succeeding in business despite their initial income status. The majority of credit participant women were found to be engaged in better and newly developed income-generating activities such as animal fattening and rearing, poultry, bee-keeping, vegetable cultivation and business-related activities. However, a considerable number of women were also engaged in traditional activities such as fire-wood collection and weeding to generate income. Such activities are borderline cases to influence the status of women in intra-household resource allocation: the study noted that where women engage the choice of economic activities needs consideration.

本研究探讨了小额信贷（micro-credit）对埃塞俄比亚北沃洛地区农村家庭女性参与创收活动的影响。研究采用选择模型与平均处理效应模型（average treatment effect model），分析信贷干预对女性参与创收活动的决策及其参与程度的影响。通过系统随机抽样（systematic random sampling）方法，从北沃洛行政区的三个沃雷达（woredas）选取了460户家庭，包括信贷计划参与者与非参与者。基于原始数据，研究发现小额信贷对女性参与创收活动的决策及投入此类活动的时间强度均具有积极且显著的影响。具体而言，获得信贷支持的女性平均比对照组多投入4.45小时用于创收活动，而对照组女性的平均投入时间为1.39小时。平均处理效应（Average Treatment Effect, ATE）显著大于处理组平均处理效应（Average Treatment Effect on the Treated, ATET），这表明信贷参与的目标群体为创业能力较弱的贫困女性。未来的小额信贷政策应考虑将目标转向具有更高创业成功潜力的女性，无论其初始收入状况如何。大多数参与信贷的女性从事更优质、新兴的创收活动，例如动物育肥与养殖、家禽饲养、养蜂、蔬菜种植及商业相关活动。然而，仍有相当数量的女性从事砍柴、除草等传统创收活动。这类活动对女性在家庭内部资源分配中的地位影响有限：研究指出，女性所从事的经济活动类型选择值得关注。