Learning Economic Citizenship Among Rural Women : Village Saving Groups in Western Uganda

The notion of economic citizenship is prevalent in non-governmental organizations’ (NGOs) interventions aimed at promoting inclusive development in the Global South. In this chapter, we draw on the concept of participatory learning (Mayoux in IDS Bulletin 29:39–50, 1998; Pretty in World Development 23:1247–1263, 1995), to explore how NGO-initiated village savings and lending associations (VSLAs) provide platforms for learning among rural women in Uganda. Based on findings from qualitative participatory research with saving groups in western Uganda, we identify three ways through which women learn a plethora of skills that promote economic citizenship. Further, we reflect on how shared learn…