by Salah S. Abd El-Ghani, Mervat Sedky Abdel-Wahab, Mohamed G. M. Abo Elazayem,and Tamer G. I. Mansour
ABSTRACT
This study examines the level of financial literacy among rural women in light of Egypt Vision 2030, explores its role as a gateway to entrepreneurship, and identifies key constraints hindering the development of financial literacy. The research was conducted in selected villages of Minya Governorate within the framework of the Presidential Initiative for Developing the Egyptian Countryside “Haya Karima.” A sample of 286 rural women was selected using a 10% sampling fraction. Data were collected through personal interviews using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and standardized scores (Z-scores). The findings reveal that 59% of rural women exhibit a low overall level of financial literacy, compared to 23% with a moderate level and 18% with a high level. This indicates a generally weak financial literacy level, which may limit rural women’s ability to manage household resources effectively and achieve economic stability. The most prominent constraints were the lack of additional income sources (87%) and the absence of financial training or awareness programs provided by formal institutions (85%). Overall, economic and institutional constraints were the most influential, followed by social and cultural barriers, and then educational and procedural factors. These results highlight the need for integrated interventions that combine financial awareness, capacity building, procedural simplification, and the strengthening of agricultural and rural development extension services to enhance rural women’s financial literacy and entrepreneurial engagement.
