1. How Social Enterprise is Changing Lives of Women: A Case Of KASONET
Diana Nandagire Ntamu
Makerere University Business School

2. Background Society has marginalised women through various processes
Marginalisation is a result of biological and physical differences
Led to the feeling that women are inferior and should continue doing domestic chores
Position of women has improved due to affirmative action and feminist movements especially in the developed countries
There has been progress towards equality

3. Background Make up 52.5 percent of the labour force in Uganda
Increase in the number of women owned businesses over a 10 year period by 19% up from 37% in 2001/2002.
Women face more challenges than men in starting, managing and growing their businesses
While Uganda has made progress in promoting women entrepreneurs, the challenges have not changed much

4. Background
In developing countries especially in Africa and India, the position of women has not improved much
There are still a number of bottlenecks in the road to empowerment

6. Women do not participate in decision making

8. Women beaten up by men

9. Beast of Burden

11. Women bear and support alot of children

12. The Problem?
You the men!!
And we the women are part of the problem

13. How do we get out of the situation
The women themselves have to act
Men must support women
Government affirmative action
Philanthropists
Individuals with moral sentiments
Social entrepreneurs

14. What is KASONET? A women association of vulnerable people
Located in Iganga district in Eastern Uganda
Membership is 140 people
Mobilised by a group of individuals to help them improve their lives
Women come together on weekends
They receive training from volunteers
They save and start businesses
They support each other socially

15. Background of Women in KASONET
Mostly housewives
Very poor families
Have an average of 5 children
70 percent have completed primary school education
Majority engage in subsistence farming

16. Social Entrepreneurship
Innovative activity with social objective in either for profit (social enterprise) or not for profit sector
Underlying drive – create social value rather than personal or share holder wealth
Characterized by creating something new rather than simple replication of existing practices
Central driver – social problem being addressed

17. Objectives of the Paper
Establish the reasons for founding the association
Establish how the association secures resources to create change in the community
Establish what the social goals are and how the social goal is achieved and what this social goal is in actual terms

18. Theoretical Framework
Many theories explain this including:
Moral sentiments theory
Empathy – altruism theory
Social bricolage theory
Social capital theory

19. Methods Used qualitative approaches
In-depth interviews with the officials and the members of the association
Observations
Focus group discussions

20. Findings Age Number of children Education standard Marital status
Ownership of property

21. Findings
Age Below 20 – 2 21 – 30 – – 40 – – 50 – 2 Above – Total 46 Average number of children - 5

22. Level of education Primary - 16 Secondary Post Secondary - 1 Total 46
‘O’ Level
‘A’ Level
Post Secondary - 1
Total

23. Marital status
Single 6 Married 35 Divorced 3 Widowed 2 Total 46

24. Ownership of property
Land 3 House 3 Other 4 None 36 Total 46

25. Findings
Objective 1: Establish the reasons for founding the association - Empowerment of women to take action - Educate women about health issues and improve their lives - Promote food security in households - Provide business skills to women to enable them start up - Improving the standards of living

26. Findings
Objective 2: Establish how the association secures resources to create change in the community
They call on friends with expertise to train the women
They use friends to get trainers
Women with expertise in specific fields train others
They improve through discussion and sharing experiences among themselves

27. Findings
Objective 3: Establish what the social goals are and how the social goal is achieved and what this social goal is in actual terms
There has been improvement in the lives of women and household Incomes
Founded businesses from which they get revenue
Improved agricultural produce through advice of experts
Members health has improved through training
By organising social functions members are happier

28. Findings: Case 1
When I heard that women were being assisted, I went to find out what it was about. i found the women in a training session they were being taught about family planning and how to relate to your husband. In my mind I said this was impossible because my husband had other women and we all wanted to have children. The next training session I attended was talking about the various diseases that women may get; breast cancer, cervical cancer, fistula. I had seen somebody in my family with fistula. She had died because she didn't have treatment and we didn't know what it was. I found the training very useful; because it made me aware of the challenges that we experienced as women. When I told my husband about the training he told me not to go there and yet I found this very important. I started going without permission. At times my husband would be away for two to three weeks. I used that opportunity to attend. One Saturday he returned and i was not home. When I came back, he beat me up. I felt humiliated . He never gave us money. Our children were not going to school and he was preventing me from going to learn how to improve myself. I decided to leave him. I now rent a house from the income that i get by selling sugarcane in the market. I was taught how to save and how to differentiae my personal money from my business money. I have some savings with KASONET and now I am learning tailoring. Through KASONET I get a steady income. I like the ladies who come to teach us.

29. Findings: Case 2
I heard about KASONET, that it was a group of women coming together and that they were lending women money. I came hoping to borrow money. When I joined, there was no money and I felt like going back but there was a lady from Kampala who was talking about how women can improve themselves without borrowing money. That lady told us about how to get on well with your husband so that the husband can allow you to go to work. I was told there would be another training the following weekend. And I returned, it was interesting. These educated women were talking about how one should treat their husband and get respect from him. I never thought it was possible. I started trying what they said at home and my husband was responsive. He would abuse me, saying I was wasting time with those training programmes. We were taught how to improve our gardens. I got the feeling that I should be better that the other women in the group. I now grow different vegetables, I also participate in making snacks (daddies) which we sell every weekend. I am happy I now get some money every weekend. In the last school term, I was able to pay school fees for one of my children but it was not enough. I have five children but I have learnt that I should have had a smaller family. We were taught about family planning and now I see the use of planning a family. I think If i had less children, I would be able to buy them clothes. I thank KASONET

30. Findings
Case 3
One of the volunteers who took interest in the association posted the activities of the association on face book. A friend of this volunteer followed these stories overtime and got her financial institution pick interest in the women the financial institution is now arranging credit for the women. The institution undertook a financial literacy training of the women.

31. Discussion KASONET was founded by Social entrepreneurs
The members are beneficiaries
Founders mobilise resources through social capital bonding
Bridging is between the external resources and beneficiaries
This leads to achievement of social goals

32. Conclusions Poverty especially among women continues to be a challenge
Social economic conditions are worsening the problem
Marginalisation continues to disadvantage women
Women on their own are not able to break the glass ceiling

33. Conclusions
Government has attempted to address this but has not been able to do so successfully
Social entrepreneurship is complemented by government
Social groupings help create social change

34. Recommendations Continue affirmative action
Avail education universally
Need for additional government programmes to support women
Facilitate the development of social entrepreneurship
Encourage social groupings