FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND WELFARE OUTCOMES AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN EDO SOUTH AGRICULTURAL ZONE, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

This study assessed the financial inclusion and welfare outcomes among rural women in Edo South Agricultural Zone, Edo state, Nigeria. The research examined individuals' social and economic circumstances, assessed their knowledge and use of financial services, evaluated their well-being, and identified the social, organizational, and cultural challenges they encounter. We used a multi-step process to select 180 women for the study. The results were examined using basic statistics and other methods to draw conclusions, with a 5% significance level. The results show that the average age of the people surveyed was 48 years. On average, there were 3 people in each household, they had 6 years of formal education, and their income was $55,473. 833% of the people asked identified as Christians, and 57. 8% of them worked mainly in farming. More than half (63. 3%) of the people surveyed knew a lot about financial services. About 506% had good access to these services, and 58. 3% used them a lot. Garrett listed the main reasons why people have trouble using financial services. The biggest issues are a lack of infrastructure, high interest rates, and gender inequality in financial matters. These are serious challenges related to structures, institutions, and social culture. The HFIAS results showed that 50. 4% of the people surveyed were very worried about not having enough food. The results from the study using multiple linear regression showed that structural barriers (β=1. 3911, p ≥005) have a positive and important connection with the welfare of rural women in the area being studied. According to the study, although people were aware of and often engaged with financial services, their lives weren't necessarily improved by them. This might be due to the difficulties the person faced in getting and using these financial services. This study suggests that the government, non-profit groups, banks, and other important organizations should work hard to improve people's understanding of money and create support systems that will help more people access financial services in the area being studied.