One of the greatest challenges that women face in developing countries is financial inclusion. Access to capital for startup
businesses is usually difficult, more so, for women in rural areas. As such, a group-based funding strategy is one of
the solutions that was implemented to afford women opportunities to overcome financial challenges affecting their lives.
Not all women have the opportunity to gain formal employment. In fact, majority of women in developing nations are
in rural areas. As such, group-based funding strategies thrive in these areas. Women are able to pool resources and save
and borrow as individuals. Social networks, organisational structures and knowledge levels of the members of these
groups and the larger organisations is a great determinant for success. The purpose of this study was to examine the social
constraints that women practicing table banking face in Emurua Dikirr sub-County, Narok County. The study adopted
phenomenology and survey research designs that employed qualitative and quantitative paradigms to collect data. Staff
from the Social Services Department of Narok County, women doing table banking, and field officers working for the
County Government of Narok, were targeted for this study using purposive, snowball, and cluster sampling techniques.
Quantitative data was analyzed using statistical techniques like inferential statistics frequencies and ratios. Qualitative
data was analyzed using content analysis, and presented using in-depth narratives. The study found that women in table
banking face a lot of constraints in their informal groups. Majority of the women can only network with neighbours
in close proximity while others do so with family members only. These limited networks inhibit their growth and lead
to poor performance of their groups and small businesses. Additionally, the study found that most women in the area of
study were illiterate or semi-illiterate. It was recommended that, Joyful Women Organisation (JOYWO) should train
women to understand and implement the fundamental principle of group-based funding strategies, which in this case
is social networking. Networks build social trust and cohesion among the group members. It was also recommended that
education should be made accessible to both young as well as adult members of society. It was lastly recommended that
JOYWO needs to adopt policies and regulations that were flexible for groups to thrive especially in hardship rural areas
such as Emurua Dikirr sub-County.

Key Terms | Table banking, social constraints, and rural women