Mobile money services and economic empowerment of airtel money users in Huye District of Rwanda.

Abstract

This study analyzed the contribution of mobile money services in promoting the economic empowerment of both females and males in Huye District, Rwanda. Mobile money services have been adopted as means to enhance financial inclusion and reduce poverty in developing countries. However, previous studies have been gender neutral by not considering different socio-economic factors driving females and males to use mobile money services and how adoption of mobile money services has differential effect on the livelihood of males and females. A cross-sectional survey design was utilized in this study whereby a questionnaire and focus group discussions were used for primary data collection. The study revealed that most females use mobile money services for sending to or receiving money from friends and relatives while men mostly use it for business purposes. Concerning the income gained, the study revealed that the proportion of females and males are quite equal for the amount ≤ Rwf 50,000 while the percentage of males is the highest when the amount is ˃ Rwf 50,000. The socio-economic analysis indicated that mobile money services have contributed positively to the increase of income and welfare of respondents. The study recommended further investigations on the topic by including more companies offering mobile services and covering more districts. A countrywide comparative study between mobile money services users and non-users should also be undertaken to test whether adoption or non-adoption of these mobile money services has differential effects.