MDF Theses and Dissertations (2024)

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Browsing MDF Theses and Dissertations (2024) by Author "Omego, E. A."

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    The Challenges of access to and use of digital financial services by women in Homa Bay County, Kenya
    (Strathmore University, 2024) Omego, E. A.
    This study examines the background of Digital Financial Services (DFS) situation for women, specific emphasis on the challenges that inhibit women from efficiently using DFS to enhance finance freedoms in Homa Bay County. Limited access to appropriate financial services is one of the key challenges that prevent economic participation of women. Furthermore, female headed households are more likely than male-headed households to be poor due to limited economic opportunities. Digital financial services contribute to the expansion of financial inclusion of women, but in some countries, it is disproportionate, and even though access to finance for women is rising, the gender gap is still persistent. In Kenya, two-thirds of unbanked adults are women and the most significant barrier to women’s financial inclusion being access to and use of their assets to earn independent income (Demirgüç-Kunt et al, 2018.). Anchored on Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) theories, the study highlights the challenges experienced by women and how these reflect on their financial decisions and the fundamental societal norms leading to these challenges. Mobile coverage and online bank usage as the primary representation of DFS usage, with data collected in the year 2023 via a study of selected women respondents in Homa Bay county. The data analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the findings were that women in Homa Bay County own digital devices, they had a good understanding of basic use of the digital devices and use digital financial services. Inferential analysis showed that differences in access to and use of DFS by women in the study area was due to variations in their digital financial literacy, with the women with a good comprehension of digital financial literacy being quite comfortable in its use and enjoyed using their devices. Socio-cultural norms did not establish a distinct effect on the nature of DFS services utilization apart from explaining number of daily logins. There were mixed relationships between perceived trust and risk against DFS use with a higher perception of doubt and reservation in the use of digital devices associated with lower logins. Perceived ease of use was associated positively with DFS usage, thus intimating that, women in Homa Bay County had a relatively high level of ease of use of digital financial services.