Impact of microfinance interventions on market women in ghana: a study of selected markets in the sekondi-tarkoradi metropolis

Globally, literatures abound on the impact of microfinance interventions on beneficiaries. This study sought to assess the impact of microfinance interventions on market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis in the Western Region of Ghana. Using a descriptive survey design, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 317 respondents for the study. Data were collected using questionnaire. The Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS version 17) was used to process the data into frequencies and tables for discussion. The study established that microfinance loans had a positive impact on the microenterprises and households of market women as well as on the personal well-being of the market women in the Metropolis. Thus, the majority of the women were able to expand their microenterprises, increase their household expenditure and improve their well-being. In a nutshell, microfinance loans had improved the lives of more market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis to a large extent. Consequently, it is important that microfinance institutions expedite the loan acquisition process for market women in Metropolis in order to make loan access easier and faster.