A Systematic Review of Barriers and Opportunities in Developing Financial Management Skills among Women in Village Community Banks in Tanzania

Village Community Banks (VICOBA) serve as an important tool for women's economic involvement in Tanzania, yet barriers to developing strong financial management skills within these groups remain poorly understood. This systematic review aims to: 1) Identify and synthesize empirical evidence on the barriers to the development of financial management skills among women in VICOBA in Tanzania; 2) Examine documented opportunities and enabling factors that support skill development in these contexts; 3) Derive evidence-based recommendations for policy, practice, and future research. This study adopts a systematic review design following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to analyze evidence from 26 studies to examine barriers and opportunities in developing financial management skills for women VICOBA in Tanzania. The search covered publications from January 2001 to 2026 to capture a sufficiently broad and contemporary evidence base. Reinforced by Empowerment Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Human Capital Theory, the thematic synthesis shows that barriers operate at individual, group, community, and institutional levels, including low literacy, patriarchal norms, inadequate training, poor record-keeping, and unregistered group status. Conversely, peer mentoring, savings discipline, NGO partnerships, digital financial services, and supportive government policy constitute enabling opportunities. The review concludes that multi-level, context-sensitive interventions combining structured financial education, formalized group structures, and policy alignment with Tanzania's National Financial Inclusion Framework 2023–2028 are essential to transforming VICOBA participation into sustainable financial competency for women. The study provides valuable recommendations for government and policymakers, NGOs and development partners, and VICOBA's leadership, encouraging them to develop financial management skills among women in Village Community Banks in Tanzania.