Factors influencing women's participation in savings groups in the peri-urban area of Gatumba in Burundi

Savings groups are a pathway to women's financial inclusion, which is still very low in Burundi. Savings groups enhance women's empowerment through enabling their participation in income-generating and other entrepreneurial activities. This study examines the factors affecting women's participation in savings groups in the peri-urban area of Gatumba in Burundi. The study uses survey collected data on 441 women. A binary logit model for women's participation in savings and credit groups is specified. The results indicate that individual and community characteristics such as age, education, occupation, distance to the nearest bank, presence of a loan shark, and presence of a cooperative, are the main determinants of women's participation in savings groups. The findings from this study may help policymakers to promote women's participation in savings groups in Burundi.