How Access and Control over Financial Resources between Men and Women Affects Development in the Rural Communities in Salima District - Malawi

Formal microfinance institutions are mostly found in urban areas. As an alternative to this village banks, known as village Group Savings and Loan Groups (GSLAs groups), are sustainable and low-cost options. This research paper specifically aims at assessing how access and control over financial resources between men and women affects development in the rural communities in Malawi with a specific focus GSLAs. Where women have set up enterprises this has often led to small increases in access to income at the cost of heavier workloads and repayment pressures. In many cases the loans have been used by men to set up enterprises over which women have little control. The methodology that has been used in this paper is background research where a review was done on different documents including the Malawi Lake Basin Program document. The study has established that Gender disparities exist in areas such as the law, education, agriculture, health, employment, credit accessibility, and political participation. These disparities produce gendered inequalities in the division of power, participation and control over resources and decision-making processes. It is recommended that women be part of the forums in which decisions are taken that impact the distribution of economic and financial resources.