Assessing the Effects of the Rural Enterprise Programme on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction in Sekyere Kumawu District, Ghana

Women’s poverty in rural Ghana remains a multidimensional problem, shaped by low income, limited access to productive resources, weak livelihood opportunities, and persistent gendered responsibilities within the household. In response to these challenges, rural enterprise interventions have been promoted as practical pathways for strengthening women’s economic participation and improving household welfare. This study assesses the effects of the Rural Enterprise Programme (REP) on women’s economic empowerment and poverty reduction in selected communities in the Sekyere Kumawu District of Ghana. It examines women’s perceptions and experiences of poverty, the influence of REP on productive skills and livelihood assets, and its effects on income, access to basic needs, household decision-making, and domestic abuse. The study adopted a mixed-methods design involving 120 women from Kumawu, Besoro, and Bodomase, comprising 60 REP beneficiaries and 60 non-beneficiaries. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, composite indices, relative importance ranking, and inferential tests, while qualitative responses were used to deepen interpretation of the statistical results. The findings show that poverty among women is experienced through food insecurity, poor housing, limited income, children’s school dropout, dependence on others, and restricted access to resources. REP beneficiaries recorded stronger outcomes in business skills, livelihood assets, household income, expenditure, access to basic needs, and participation in household decisions than non-beneficiaries. The study concludes that REP contributes positively to women’s empowerment and poverty reduction, although its impact remains constrained by limited asset support and care burdens. It recommends strengthening financial inclusion, market access, equipment support, mentorship, and gender-sensitive protection mechanisms locally.