Sie sind auf Seite 1von 16

Title:

Womens empowerment through micro financing


Introduction:
According to the State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign 2001 Report,
14.2million of the worlds poorest women now have access to financial services through
specialized microfinance institutions (MFIs), banks, NGOs, and other nonbank financial
institutions. These women account for nearly 74 percent of the 19.3 million of the worlds
poorest people now being served by microfinance institutions. Most of these women have access
to credit to invest in businesses that they own and operate themselves. The vast majority of them
have excellent repayment records, in spite of the daily hardships they face. Contrary to
conventional wisdom, they have shown that it is every good idea to lend to the poor and to
women. So, given these impressive statistics, can we pat ourselves on the back for our service to
poor women and assume that womens empowerment and other gender issues will take care of
themselves? Although womens access to financial services has increased substantially in
the past 10 years, their ability to benefit from this access is often still limited by the
disadvantages they experience because of their gender. Some MFIs are providing decreasing
percentage of loans to women, even as these institutions grow and offer new loan products.
Others have found that on average womens loan sizes are smaller than those of men, even when
they are in the same credit program, the same community, and the same lending group. Some
differences in loan sizes may be a result of womens greater poverty or the limited capacity of
womens businesses to absorb capital. But they can also indicate broader social discrimination
against women which limits the opportunities open to them, raising the question of whether
microenterprise development programs should do more to address these issues. And looking at
the leadership of many MFIs, we see very few women. Their contributionswhether setting
the vision on a board of directors, designing products and services, or implementing programs
are missing. Thus, as the industry becomes more sophisticated in developing targeted products
and services, it makes sense to look at both targeting women and empowering women.
Microfinance programs have the potential to transform power relations and empower the poor
both men and women. In well-run microfinance programs, there is a relationship of respect
between the provider and the client that is inherently empowering. This is true regardless of the
methodology or approach (whether the institution takes a minimalist approach of delivering
financial services only or a more holistic or integrated approach). As a consequence,
microfinance has become a central component of many donor agencies and national
governments gender, poverty alleviation, and community
The Microcredit Summit Campaign defines poorest as the bottom half of
those living below their nations poverty line. The Campaigns greatest challenge lies in bridging
the gap between its commitment to reaching the poorest and the lack of a sufficient number of
effective poverty measurement tools in use. Therefore, every mention of the term poorest in this
report should be read within the context of this dilemma. It is expected that, with every
successive report, the use of high-quality poverty measurements will increase, and therefore, so
too will the quality of the data reported.
Several studies and the experiences of a number of MFIs have shown, however, that simply
putting financial resources in the hands of poor women is not enough to bring about
empowerment and improved welfare. In this paper we demonstrate that although microfinance
does not address all the barriers to womens empowerment, microfinance programs, when
properly designed, can make an important contribution to womens empowerment. We begin by
examining some of the theories and assumptions behind the targeting of women for microfinance
and the resulting implications for empowerment. Drawing on the studies and experiences
of microfinance institutions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the paper looks at what evidence
is known about impact on women, in terms of both welfare and empowerment. While
acknowledging that there is no set of indicators of empowerment that can be applied universally
across cultures and regions, we present evidence of several types of changes that are relevant and
important for empowerment across a range of cultures. The heart of the paper is an in-depth case
study of the impact on women achieved by SinapiAba Trust (SAT), Opportunity Internationals
partner in Ghana. Based on that study and the experiences of other MFIs, we identify several
programmatic factors and strategies that can make a positive contribution to womens
empowerment and holistic transformation, including business training, discussion of social
issues, support and advice for balancing family and business responsibilities, experience in
decision making and leadership, and ownership and control of the credit institution. We also look
at the role that womens economic contribution to the household and community plays in
empowering them. We then look at some strategies used by MFIs for reaching and empowering
women and their results, identifying some of the most promising. Our reading, research, and
experience have turned up rich examples of empowerment, but have also raised many questions
that suggest some important areas for future work. We therefore conclude by issuing a call to
action for practitioners and donors, so that the tremendous potential of microfinance to empower
women can be fulfilled.
The objectives of this study are:
Objectives:
To assess the role of microfinance in empowering women economically, socially,
politically and empowerment related to health and education of the beneficiaries.
To examine the demographic variables that influence women decision making
ability.
Significance of the study:
The significance of the study is to see the current work for empowering women.
Importance of Microfinance:
Various researches in MF sector have proved that its a very important tool to boost economic
growth, to counteract the effects of economic instability and to empower women. MF programs
target women because of the following reasons; cost efficiency rationale, it has been confirmed
through studies that womens repayment rates are much higher than men. Secondly, equity in
terms of employment opportunities among men and women is very important issue especially in
developing countries and thirdly as women are more concerned about the wellbeing of their
family so investing in women creates a multiplier effect that imp roves the effectiveness of
credit funds.
Why Target Women?
Putting resources into poor womens hands while promoting gender equality in the household
and in society results in large development payoffs. Expanding womens opportunities in public
works, agriculture, finance, and other sectors accelerate economic growth, helping to mitigate the
effects of current and future financial crises
Role of Microfinance in Women Empowerment:
Providing access to microfinance for women is considered to be a precondition of poverty
alleviation and womens empowerment. By focusing on womens empowerment from
microfinance perspective, the policy development circles have started putting more emphasis on
gender relations than ever before and they consider women. So its very important to empower
women by providing them access to microfinance as gender inequalities hinder economic growth
and development, empowerment, increased well- being for women and their families and wider
social and political empowerment can be evaluated.
Dimensions of Women Empowerment:
Malhotra et al. (2002) developed a comprehensive list of important dimensions of empowerment,
by using different frameworks developed by various authors. Economic, socio-cultural,
familial/interpersonal, legal, political, and psychological are significant dimensions that are
composed of various factors (sub-domains).
Measuring Empowerment:
There is no single standard tool developed by the World Bank or any other development agency
to measure empowerment although it is considered to be a primary development goal (Malhotra,
2002). Two complementary indices: the Gender-related Development Index (GDI) and the
Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) were introduced by UNDPs Human Development
Report of 1995. But these indices have limitations as Bardhan (1999) argued that the presence of
large proportion of elected women members in the national parliament is not a sign of real power
moreover GEM does not consider participation of women in local political institutions and their
visibility in other bodies of civil society i.e. at micro level (Swain, 2007).Furthermore, Khan and
Maan (2008) stated that there is no universal yard stick for measuring women empowerment
because empowerment is a context specific construct that may vary from one socio-cultural
scenario to other. Therefore it is essential to identify the dimensions of empowerment and
measure them. So by keeping in view the significance of targeting women, different dimensions
of women empowerment have been adopted to measure it in milieu of an interest free MFP
Purpose statement:
The purpose of this study is to check the empowerment of women, womens full enjoyment of all
human rights and the eradication of poverty are essential to economic and social development.

Philosophical Foundations:
Literature review:
a) Women Empowerment:
The dictionary meaning of the word empower is to give somebody the power or authority to
do Kabeer (1999) defined womens empowerment as a process by which those who have
been denied the ability to make strategic life choices acquire such ability (Swain, 2007).
According to World Bank 2011, Putting resources into poor womens hands while
promoting gender equality in the household and in society results in large development
payoffs. Expanding womens opportunities in public works, agriculture, finance, and other
sectors accelerate economic growth, helping to mitigate the effects of current and future
financial crises.

b) Dimensions of Women Empowerment:

Malhotra et al. (2002) developed a comprehensive list of important dimensions of empowerment,


by using different frameworks developed by various authors. Economic, sociocultural,
familial/interpersonal, legal, political, and psychological are significant dimensions that are
composed of various factors. There is no single standard tool developed by the World Bank or
any other development agency to measure empowerment although it is considered to be a
primary development goal (Malhotra, 2002). Two complementary indices: the Gender-related
Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) were introduced by
UNDPs Human Development Report of 1995. But these indices have disadvantages as Bardhan
(1999) argued that the existence of large proportion of elected women members in the national
parliament is not a sign of real power moreover GEM does not consider participation of women
in local political institutions and their existent in other bodies of civil society i.e. at micro level
(Swain, 2007).Furthermore, Khan and Maan (2008) stated that there is no unique yard stick for
determine the women empowerment because empowerment is a main element in specific
construct that may differ from one socio-cultural scenario to other. Therefore it is important to
identify the direction of empowerment and measure them. So, by investigate study viewed of
targeting women, different direction of women empowerment have been acquire to measure it in
milieu of an interest free MFP i.e. Akhuwat. Existing evidence of the impact of micro-finance
programmed on gender relations is limited. Research on gender impact is confined to a few
programmed in Bangladesh and India. Consequence result differs even for the same
programmed. Most other documented studies are short gender-impact assessments commissioned
by NGOs and donors. The CGAP-sponsored AIMS studies are only in their first round. Although
they use a gender-sensitive framework and have included participatory techniques, they do not
currently contain detailed information on womens empowerment. The focus of most studies has
been almost exclusively on credit with some discussion on savings. Some studies investigate in
examined manners the relative impact of different types of micro-finance strategy, programmed
models, different types of gender policy or related with other interventions. Some studies have
included follow-up of drop-outs and the reasons for leaving programmed.
Economic empowerment: womens access to savings and credit gives them a greater economic
role in decision-making through their decision about savings and credit. When women control
decisions related credit and savings, they will maximize their own and the households welfare.
The investment in womens economic activities will improve employment opportunities for
women and thus have a trickle down and out effect. The financial sustainability and feminist
empowerment world views emphasize womens own income-generating activities. In the poverty
relief, the claims on increasing incomes at the household level and the use of loans for
consumption. In the feminist empowerment world views, individual economic empowerment is
seen as dependent on social and political empowerment.
Increased well-being: approach to savings and credit services and womens decision about what
is being done with savings and credit strengthens womens say in economic decisions of the
household. This empowers the women to increase expenditure on the well-being of themselves
and their children. This is the main focusing point the poverty in relief world views. Womens
control over decision-making is also seen as benefitting men through inhibit leakage of
household income to unproductive and harmful. Other welfare consequences are operations in
addition to micro-finance, typically nutrition, and health and literacy campaigns to further
decrease exposure and improve womens skills. In the financial self-sustainability and feminist
empowerment world views, improved well-being is a supposed consequence from increasing
womens economic activities and incomes.
Social and political empowerment: a combination of womens increased economic activity and
control over income consequence from approach to micro-finance that improves the womens
skills, motivation, and approach to knowledge and support networks. Position/ stat within the
community are also increased. These changes are mobilized by group formation, connecting to
wide range of empowerment for social and political change. The financial self-sustainability
world views and the poverty relief world views supposed that social and political empowerment
will occur without specific interruption to change gender relations at the household, community
or macro-levels. By contrast, the feminist empowerment world views advocates explicit
strategies for supporting womens ability to protect their individual and averge gender interests at
the household, community and macro-levels.
Amphora (2002) constructed a list of the most commonly used dimensions of womens
empowerment, drawing from the frameworks developed by various authors in different fields of
social sciences. Allowing for overcome these frameworks suggest that womens empowerment
needs to occur along multiple dimensions including: economic, socio-cultural, familial/
interpersonal, legal, political, and psychological. The World Bank defines empowerment as the
process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform
those choices into desired actions and outcomes. According to Krishna (2003) argued that
empowerment means increasing the ability of individuals or groups to make effective
development and life substitute and to deliver these choices into desired actions and
consequence. It is by nature a procedure and/or consequence. Caber (1999) argued that womens
empowerment is the process to obtain the ability from which those who have been negate the
ability to make the strategic life choices. Her insist that ability to exercise substitute include three
interrelated dimensions: Resources, Agency and Achievements. According to UNIFEM, to
generate choices, gaining the ability and effort bargaining power, developing a sense of self-
worth, to safe want alteration, belief in ones power and the right to control ones life are
important elements of women empowerment. Women will be empowered when they will have
full control over their own life. Ranjula Bali Swaina and Fan Yang Wallentin (September 2009)
in their article Does microfinance empower women? Evidence from self-help groups in India
concluded that their study strongly viewed that SHG members are empowered by participating in
microfinance program in the sense that they have a greater weakness to resist existing gender
average and culture that confine their power to generate and make choices. Another view of
womens empowerment argues that it needs to occur in diversified direction: economic, socio
cultural, familial/interpersonal, legal, political and psychological (Malhotra, Schuler and
Boender 2002). These dimensions cover a broad range of factors, and thus women may be
empowered within one of these sub rules. For example, the socio cultural dimension covers a
range of empowerment sub rules, such as marriage systems, average regarding women are
physical mobility, non-familial social support systems and networks available to women. Social
capital, social networks, the ability to make effective life and community development substitute
are all related to empowerment (Krishna 2003; Grootaert 2003). Microfinance plays a important
role in gender and development strategies because of its direct relationships to both poverty relief
and women. As women are the poorest of the poor so greater financial security allows the
women to become more empower in household and community happening activities. As women
invest most of their income on their family needs particularly children's education, diet, health
care and clothing. Supportive causes of targeting women argue that women repayment record is
good and their behavior is more cooperative than men. Access to financial resources does not
alone empower women but also access to material (credit, property, and money), human and
social resources (education, business). Empowerment is culturally comparative term; it is itself
not a western concept. Microfinance affects women's thinking power or decision making and
self-confidence which are closely linked with knowledge, women's status and gender relations at
home. Microfinance program strengthen women's economic autonomy and gives them means to
pursue non-traditional activities. These programs effect also on political empowerment and
women's right. Since womens empowerment is the key to socio economic development of the
community; bringing women into the mainstream of national development has been a major
concern of government. The ministry of rural development has special components for women in
its programmed. Funds are earmarked as Womens component to ensure flow of adequate
resources for the same. Besides Swarnagayanti Grameen Swarazgar Yojona (SGSY), Ministry of
Rural Development is implementing other scheme having womens component .They are the
India Awes Yojona (IAJ), National Social Assistance Programmed (NSAP), Restructured Rural
Sanitation Programmed, Accelerated Rural Water Supply programmer (ARWSP) the (erstwhile)
Integrated Rural Development Programmed (IRDP), the (erstwhile) Development of Women and
Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) and the Jowahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY). Women
empowerment is a social process that seeks to neutralize oppression of women and achieve
equity in the society. It is a State without oppression of women, an environment of freedom,
equity and respect for individual and a life with dignity. Realization of full identity of women
folk is an important aspect of rural development. It is the expansion of assets and capabilities of
women who constitute nearly half of our human resources, to participate and control the
institutions that affect their life. The role of MGNREGA and micro finance in this context is
important because it provides an environment of sustainable improvement in the quality of life of
rural women folk for equal opportunity in decision making process and to participate in
community life by forming SHGs and MFIs. In our society there is wide range of prejudices and
social taboos and women have been neglected to the status of a second class citizen. The women
as a class continue to be at the losing end. The role of MGNREGA and microfinance can reduce
inequality and gender bias and it is a contributory factor for rural development. The Employment
Guarantee Act has contributed tremendously to women empowerment in Odisha by providing
them independent income earning opportunities to foster and expedite rural development.
c) Self-esteem:

This variable refers to how one values oneself and one's contributions and how one feels that
others value one's self and one's contributions. It is measured in terms of whether women make
any major contributions to
Their household,
Their community;
How women evaluate themselves compared to men and other groups in the society.

d) Micro Finance

Otero (1999, p.8) defined the micro finance is that the provision of financial services to low-
income poor and very poor self-employed people. These financial services according to
Ledgerwood (1999) argued that not involve only savings and credit but can also participate other
financial services such as insurance and payment services. Schreiner and Colombet (2001, p.339)
argued that microfinance as the effort to try to make better approach small deposits and small
loans for poor households neglected by banks.
Therefore, microfinance include the supplying of financial services such as savings, loans and
insurance to poor people living in both urban and rural settings who are unable to gain such
services from the formal financial sector.
Micro finance has a key role in the development according to UNCDF (2004) in three ways such
as:
It helps the poorest household to meet the basic needs of life and protect against risks.

It also affiliated with the improvement in households economic welfare.

Helps the women to engage in economic participation, promote gender equity.


According to Otero(1999) states that micro finance generate approach to g capital generate for
poor, along with human capital, direction through education and training, and social capital,
obtain through local organization building, enables people to get rid of poverty. The aim of
microfinance according to Otero (1999) is not just about support the poor to fight poverty on an
individual level; it also has a role at an institutional level. It peruse to create an institution that
deliver the financial services to the poor, who are constantly ignored by the formal banking
sector. Littlefield and Rosenberg (2004) argued that the poor are generally extracted from the
financial services sector of the economy so MFIs have emerged to determine this market failure.
By finding this gap in the market in a financially continuous manner, an MFI can become part of
the formal financial system of a country and so can approach markets to fund their lending
portfolios, allowing them to increase the number of poor people they can reach (Otero, 1999).
Overall , micro-finance system may include little to social and political empowerment, for
example if group meetings fail to notified the gender conflict or if group repayment stress
increase tensions between women and/or extract more trouble the women from important
system of connection. Time spent in savings and credit meetings automatically decrease
womens time for other social and political activities. These Programmers may also increase
conflicts between men and women within communities and may not have satisfactory approach
to support women.
They investigates study on womens empowerment from microfinance context, putting more
intensity on gender relations than ever before and they consider women as a weapon against
poverty (DFID2006, p.1). So its very important to empower women by providing them
approach to microfinance as gender inequalities obstacles economic growth and development
(World Bank, CIDA, UNDP, and UNIFEM).
Microfinance is a type of banking service which supply accessibility to financial and non-
financial services to low income household or unemployed people. Microfinance is a powerful
weapon to engage the poor people especially women at world level and especially in developing
countries. Microfinance services help the poorest people to get rid of poverty. From early 1970's
women participate in number of countries increasing to climb out of poverty by microfinance
programs. The issues of women less contribute to credit were given a particular attention at First
International Women Conference in Mexico in 1975. But in Pakistan, the movement of
microfinance sector started from Agha Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) and Orangi Pilot
Project (OPP). With the passage of time microfinance becomes NGO activity and five
microfinance banks have been started under State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) ordinance.
Microfinance services lead to women empowerment by positively persuade womens decision
making power at household level and their overall socioeconomic status. By the end of 2000,
microfinance services had reached over 79 million of the poorest of the world. As such
microfinance has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to gender equality and promote
constantly and better working condition for women. (ILO Geneva) It has been well written down
that an increase in women resources or better access for credit facilities results in increased well-
being of the family especially children. In contemporary, in most of the developing countries like
India higher emphasis is being laid upon the development of women as an entrepreneurs and
their active participation in the development process of their country. Women can be successful
and better entrepreneurs if given the much needed favorable environment and provided with
enough resources most importantly the required amount of capital. The studies of rural women
have proved their business excellence. They have been found to be better in credit utilization
than men but because of lack of access to assets they are often more accessible to poverty than
males. There are many successful women organizations working for the overall upliftment of the
rural women like Shri MahilaGrihaUdyoglijjatPapad (1959), Self Employed Women association
(SEWA) established in 1972, The Working Womens Forum (WWF) in 1978,
RashtriyaMahilaKosh (RMK), a govt. Organization for women established in 1993, Mann
DeshiMahilaSahakari Bank Ltd. (MDMSB) in 1997 etc. Though there can be no magic bullet,
which can bring about radical structural transformation that the empowerment of women needs
the success of micro financing organizations in building up the organizational capacity of the
poor women.
J. Bus.Financ. 02 (01) 2014. 21-31 25 provides the basis for their social mobilization that many
other class interventions have not been able to achieve (Kabeer 2005). Various helping hands are
available for women to provide finance as classified below: Formal Sector- It covers the entire
banking industry including all public, private, regional rural banks, NABARD and RBI. Semi-
formal sector- It covers all exclusive Micro financing institutions (MFIs), NGOs and various
Self-help Groups (SHG). Informal sector- It covers family, friends, relatives, moneylenders,
pawnbrokers, traders and landlords etc. Generally, the micro finance products are classified into
three categories -Micro Credit, Micro Savings and Micro Insurance. Various credit products are
available ranging from consumption to production besides savings products. However, micro
insurance is still in experimental stage.
d) Women empowerment and Microfinance:
A lot of literature has been coherently the interrelationship between micro-finance and womens
empowerment. Women have been considered to be the poorest among the poor and they
dominate the informal economy in developing countries. Womens empowerment through
micro-finance has been one of the preference of stakeholders throughout the world, it is
observe women have approach to loans in conventional banks because of the insinuation
that these women do not have approach to parallel such as land to obtain loans from the
banks unlike the men who work in the formal sector and commercial banks do favor them.
Mayoux (2005) defines empowerment as a multifaceted and interlinked process of
change in power relations. In understanding womens empowerment, Krishna (2003)
defines womens empowerment as the process of increasing motivation of women to make
choices and to deliver these choices into desired actions and outcomes. While The UN
(2001) classified womens empowerment into five components: their right to make choices;
right to have approach to resources; right to control their own lives; sense of self-worth and
the ability to create a social and economic order.
In relating micro-finance to womens empowerment, some experts have formulated indicators to
measure the effect of micro credits on women. Hashemi et al. (1996) viewed the effect of
womens empowerment by developing an empowerment indicator to measure economic security,
household decision and political awareness of women. Ackerly (1995) built an accounting
knowledge indicator, while Goetz and Gupa (1996) manufactured an index of marginal control to
see how women utilize their loans for financial activities. What is not known for now is to see if
the empowerment of women through micro-finance has aberrate them from their traditional
responsibility. Hashemi et al. (1996) argued that if women approach to micro-credit has an effect
on their well-being, the fallout of the results shows that women approach to micro-credit
contributes exceptionally to their economic power. However, Mayoux (1997) argument is that
micro-credit to women does not always bring about positive development. This could be as a
result of women who took loans from the banks did not use their loans for what they are meant
for, there are situations that loans are used for birthday, child naming and marriage ceremonies.
There has been an occurrence where spouses of women use their married women loans for their
personal use. Holvoet (2005) analyses womens decision-making patterns as regard to loan
borrowing, women who borrow directly from the banks always have fewer decision patterns, but
when the loans are safe through womens groups and are combined with investment then a
positive shift in decision-making patterns is noted. The idea of women to form unified had
been beneficial to women; most of the micro-finance institutions, always coordinatewith
women's accommodation in order to empower women and they find this medium easy for loan
repayment. In a literature review and Mendes (2009) on womens empowerment: contrasting
concepts and approaching the implications for micro-finance, they found out of the 18 women
interviewed, 17 of them said they are already empowered expecting only one who said she
needs a sustainable income to be empowered, quoting one of the interviewees: Let me tell
you, there is nothing as good as being a knowledgeable woman micro-finance client, Kenya.
Micro-finance empowerment to women increases their knowledge, education, and makes them
superior in the presence of their husbands. Some scholars have argued against the perception
that micro-finance empowers women, according to Dobra (2011) argued that micro-finance
make the women to be empowered, however the most condition of micro-finance on woman
empowerment is that there is no really effective equivalence between micro-finance and
womens empowerment. McWhirter (1991) defines empowerment as a state where people
who lack power become aware of their power. Dobra (2011) argues, if empowerment is all
about one being aware of his or her power, then empowerment has not occurred. Some feminist
theorists have classified power of women into power with, power within, power to and
power over. The acquiring of power over with the intention of empowering women through
redistribution of resources has not happened Dahl (1999)
Methodology and Methods:
This study aims to focus on quantitative research as microfinance and women empowerment are
wide-ranging disciplines with a range of interpretations so a quantitative analysis would ensure a
thorough understanding of the subject matter.In quantitative research a case study approach is
selected because it allows an in-depth explanation of the social phenomena at hand i.e.;
microfinance and women empowerment in context. Although there are issues of generalizability
in using case study approach but according to Yin (1994) generalization of results from case
studies are based on the study adopts interviews as a measure for collection of information. The
interviews conducted were unstructured comprising of open and close ended questions. This is
the primary source of data collection and besides this in order to streamline the present study, a
number of books; journals; thesis and articles were reviewed. Relevant secondary data was also
collected from published reports; issued by various local, national and international
organizations. Theory rather than on populations. In present study the researcher intends to
analyze the impact of MF on women empowerment and other factors that influence
empowerment and has been taken as a case to validate the findings how much these are truly
implemented there. In present study convenience sampling technique was used, because it is an
appropriate technique for drawing sample from large population with limited time and cost.
Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling technique where subjects are selected
because of their convenient accessibility and proximity to the researcher. The present study is a
single case study and descriptive one. The researcher intended to study the role of microfinance
in empowering women and to examine the factors other than MF that influence women decision
making power. Women empowerment is studied with the help of its dimensions as no
standardized tool has been developed so far. The interview schedule was composed of different
sections as per dimensions, the first part was pertaining to demographic characteristics of the
female clients, as name, age, education, marital status, family type, work experience and job
status then there were general questions about need and purpose of MF. The remaining section
covered the four dimensions in detail, firstly questions related to economic empowerment that is
composed of income, asset related issues and the buying behavior of females was gauged. The
second part was about health and education concerns of females and their children.
Potential Ethical Issues:
We sought to obtain evidence about the scope of womens empowerment and the mechanisms
underlying the significant reduction in intimate partner violence documented by the Intervention
with Microfinance.

References:
Afzal, A. (2009). Identification and analysis of factors hampering women empowerment in
agricultural decision making and extension work in the Punjab, a case study of district okara:
Ph.D. Thesis. Department of agricultural extension, University of agriculture Faisalabad,
Pakistan. American Jewish World Service. (2006). Womens Empowerment: Global Perspectives.
An AJWS High School and Adult Education Module. Bryman, A. ( 2008 ). Social Research
Methods. (3rded.) Oxford University Press. Draft resolution of the General Assembly. (2010).
United Nations Agenda items 13 and 115 Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit.
Retrieved November 25, 2011, from http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/pdf/mdg
%20outcome%20document.pdf Hausmann, R., Tyson, l.D., &Zahidi, S. (2012).Global Gender
Gap Report. World Economic Forum. Jayaweera, S. (2010). Women, Education and
Empowerment in Asia, Gender and Education, 9:4, 411-424 Khan, A. A., Haider, H., &Asad, M.
(2011).Impact Assessment of Microfinance.A case study of Akhuwat.Research and Development
Center.Faculty of Commerce, University of Central Punjab. Khan, T. M., &Maan, A. A.
(2008).Socio-cultural milieu of womens empowerment in district Faisalabad.Pak. J. Agri. Sci.,
Vol. 45(3) Malhotra, A., Schuler, S.R., &Boender, C. (2002).Measuring Womens Empowerment
as a variable in International Development. Background Paper Prepared for the World Bank
Workshop on Poverty and Gender: New Perspectives. Mayoux, L. (2005). Womens
Empowerment through Sustainable Micro-finance: Rethinking Best Practice. Retrieved Nov.
15, 2011, from http://www.genfinance.info/Documents/Mayoux_Backgroundpaper.pdf Mayoux,
L., &Hartl, M. (2009). Gender and rural microfinance: Reaching and empowering women. IFAD.
Retrieved June 29, 2012, from http://www.ifad.org/gender/pub/gender_finance.pdf Meenu et al.
(2011).Women Empowerment through Microfinance Intervention in the Commercial Banks.Int.
J. Eco. Res. 2(2), 35-45. Retrieved June 12, 2012, from
http://www.ijeronline.com/documents/volumes/Vol2issue2/ijer20110202(5).pdf
Huma Rehman, Amani Moazzam & Nighat Ansari Role of Microfinance
125
Mustafa, Z., &Ismailov, N. (2008).Entrepreneurship and Microfinance. A tool for empowerment
of poor.Case of Akhuwat, Pakistan. Nader, Y.F. (2008). Microcredit and socio-economic the
wellbeing of women and their families in Cairo.Journal of Socioeconomics, Vol.37, 644-656
Noreen, S. (2011). Role of Microfinance in Empowerment of Female Population of Bahawalpur
District. Department of Economics Bahawalpur, Pakistan. International Conference on
Economics and Finance Research. IPEDR vol.4 (2011) NVIVO manual.(2012).
QSR.International. Retrieved from www.qsrinternational.com Rahman, S., Junankar, P.N.,
&Mallik, G. (2009). Factors influencing womens empowerment on microcredit borrowers. A
case study of Bangladesh. Journal of Asia Pacific Economy. Statistics Akhuwat. (2012).
Retrieved from http://www.akhuwat.org.pk/ Swain, R. B. (2007). Can Microfinance Empower
Women? Self-Help Groups in India.Appui au Developpement Autonome ADA Dialogue. United
Nations Children Funds. (2012). Situation Analysis of Children and women in Pakistan.
National Report. Government of Pakistan. World Bank. (2012). Retrieved from
http://go.worldbank.org/S9B3DNEZ00 Yin, R.K. (2003).Case study research designs and
methods. (3rded.). Applied social research methods series Vol. 5.Sage Publications

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen