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Date Added to
Site: 28th March 2006 |
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Short Summary
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| Title |
Women’s Empowerment through Sustainable Micro-Finance:
Rethinking “Best Practice” |
| Author |
Mayoux, L. |
| Publication
Date |
February 2006 |
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Short Summary |
Women's access to microfinance services have
significantly increased over the past two decades. By enhancing women's
ability to earn an income, these programmes have the potential to
initiate a series of “virtuous spirals” of economic empowerment and
increased well-being for women and their families. However, this paper
challenges assumptions about the automatic benefits of micro-finance
for women. For example, high repayment levels by women do not necessarily
indicate that they have used the loans themselves. Men may take the
loans from women, or women may choose to invest loans according to
men's priorities. Likewise, high demand for loans by women may be
a sign of social pressure to access resources for in-laws or husbands
rather than an indicator of empowerment. Where women are unable to
negotiate changes in intra-household and community gender inequalities,
they may become dependent on loans to continue in low-paid occupations
with heavier workloads. However, these shortcomings should not discourage
microfinance programmes being undertaken. The experience of current
innovations in many programmes indicates a range of ways in which
contribution to gender equality and women's empowerment can be increased.
Suggestions include the need to provide services to reduce the burden
of unpaid domestic work on women, including childcare, and to ensure
that repayment schedules and interest rates reflect the reality of
women's economic activities and life cycles.
Summary written in collaboration with the Eldis Gender Guide (http://www.eldis.org/gender)
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