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Banking On Her: The Effects Of Microfinance On Women’S Autonomy In Developing Economies, Zena Pare
Banking On Her: The Effects Of Microfinance On Women’S Autonomy In Developing Economies, Zena Pare
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Once applauded as a way to empower the world’s poorest, and in particular benefit women, the practice of microfinance is now perceived with a much more cautious and nuanced lens. Some perspectives state that microfinance improves women’s lives and uplifts communities, while others claim that it increases over-indebtedness and does not provide a viable path to escape poverty. In order to determine if microfinance is an effective use of resources to empower women, this paper analyzes the relationship between women’s autonomy and microfinance to provide further insight into its proposed positive and negative effects. Using ordinary least squares regression analysis, …
The New Financial Framework For The Cuban Non-State Sector, Pavel Vidal, P.V. Viswanath
The New Financial Framework For The Cuban Non-State Sector, Pavel Vidal, P.V. Viswanath
Faculty Working Papers
A cornerstone of the current Cuban economic model reforms is its opening to the non-state small-scale sector. Using the results of a survey of non-state businesses, we look at the provision of financial services to the small- and medium-sized enterprises in the non-state sector from two perspectives: first, the nature of the new credit regulations and bank policies and how they accomplish the evaluation of credit to a hitherto non-existent sector; and second, how these small business clients view their relationship with their lender state banks. We look at Cuba from the perspective of a socialist economy in transition and …
The Impact Of Microfinance On Poverty Reduction In Egypt: An Empirical Study, Hala Elhadidi
The Impact Of Microfinance On Poverty Reduction In Egypt: An Empirical Study, Hala Elhadidi
Business Administration
Microfinance has become a critical tool in credit markets for poverty reduction and socioeconomic development. Yet its impact is still questioned and varies from one country to another and from urban to rural areas. This article examines the role of Egyptian microfinance on household income. A cross-sectional survey interviewed 780 established and new clients in Greater Cairo and rural areas in Egypt. The stratified random method was used to collect the data from urban and rural districts. The findings, using multinomial logistics, reveal that microfinance had a positive impact on the household income of women borrowers who spent three years …
Microfinance And The Decision To Invest In Children’S Education, P.V. Viswanath
Microfinance And The Decision To Invest In Children’S Education, P.V. Viswanath
Faculty Working Papers
Although one of the primary objectives of microfinance has been the reduction of poverty through the provision of credit for income-generating purposes, evidence of its impact on poverty has been mixed. Even if there is no direct impact of microfinance, there may be an indirect positive impact through the effect of microcredit availability on families’ decisions to invest in their children’s education. In this paper, I describe a study undertaken to gauge the impact of microcredit availability on education expenditures for children of clients of a South Indian microfinance institution. I first look at some determinants of the demand for …
Client Protection Regulations For Microfinance Institutions In Ghana, Kenya, And Tanzania, Hanna Carlson
Client Protection Regulations For Microfinance Institutions In Ghana, Kenya, And Tanzania, Hanna Carlson
Oswald Research and Creativity Competition
This paper examines the financial sectors of Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania in relation to the regulation of microfinance institutions, specifically looking into client protection policies. The first section introduces the topic of microfinance in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the impact it has on the financial sector. A frame of reference is created by a brief introduction of the financial and regulatory climate in each of the three countries. Following this introduction, regression analyses demonstrate the impact of client protection policies on the performance of microfinance institutions in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania.
The Impact Of Microfinance On Poverty Reduction In Egypt: An Empirical Study, Hala Elhadidi
The Impact Of Microfinance On Poverty Reduction In Egypt: An Empirical Study, Hala Elhadidi
Business Administration
Microfnance has become a critical tool in credit markets for poverty reduction and socioeconomic development. Yet its impact is still questioned and varies from one country to another and from urban to rural areas. This article examines the role of Egyptian micro nance on household income. A cross-sectional survey interviewed 780 established and new clients in Greater Cairo and rural areas in Egypt. The strati ed random method was used to collect the data from urban and rural districts. The ndings, using multinomial logistics, reveal that micro nance had a positive impact on the household income of women borrowers who …
Microcredit And Survival Microenterprises: The Role Of Market Structure, P.V. Viswanath
Microcredit And Survival Microenterprises: The Role Of Market Structure, P.V. Viswanath
Faculty Working Papers
Poverty remains a pervasive problem all over the world, but the problem is worst in underdeveloped areas like Africa. While microfinance is supposed to address this problem through the promotion of viable businesses, it has not been very successful in helping survival microenterprises, i.e., businesses that the very poor with limited human capital have access to, in sectors with low barriers to entry and selling undifferentiated products. In this paper, I examine the role of market structure in mediating the impact of micro-lending to such survival enterprises. While there have been many evaluations of microfinance institutions (MFIs), there have been …
Formalizing Through Finances: A Case Study With Unics, Leah Kellenberger
Formalizing Through Finances: A Case Study With Unics, Leah Kellenberger
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This paper seeks to analyze the microfinance industry in Yaoundé, Cameroon through the lens of the microfinance institution UNICS. The main question guiding this study deals with whether or not the UNICS is encouraging a shift to the formal sector through their work with business people. Other questions relating to repayment rates and subsequently economic development also remain pertinent to the information found. In total, it is found that UNICS seeks to encourage formal sector growth through their work with businesspeople in the informal. Repayment rates however do not determine success of any aspect of a customer’s business or encouragement …
Finance And Social Responsibility In The Informal Economy: Institutional Voids, Globalization And Microfinance Institutions, Hao Liang, Chris Marquis, Sunny Li Sun
Finance And Social Responsibility In The Informal Economy: Institutional Voids, Globalization And Microfinance Institutions, Hao Liang, Chris Marquis, Sunny Li Sun
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
We examine how different types of country-level globalization and the industry structure of microfinance institutions (MFIs) affect organization-level microcredit interest rates which crucially affect the poor's entrepreneurial opportunities. We develop an opportunity structure perspective that argues that MFI interest rates can be reduced by egalitarian-based social globalization but increased by neoliberal-based economic globalization. Moreover, stronger presence of nonprofit organizations in the microfinance industry lowers interest rates. Furthermore, these three forces can moderate the relationship between MFIs' outreach to the poor and average interest rate. Analyses of 2,559 MFI observations across 74 countries from 2002 - 2012 largely support our hypotheses.
Access To Capital In Dakar: An Analysis Of Microfinance, Michael Furlane
Access To Capital In Dakar: An Analysis Of Microfinance, Michael Furlane
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This study analyzes the effectiveness of micro credit in a developing African country by evaluating the history of microfinance and then focusing on access to credit in modern day Dakar, Senegal. Microfinance, or small capital loans to business startups in budding nations, has been used as a tool in developmental economics for a several decades. Ideally it is an elegant solution to a problem that permeates developing countries around the world: the lack of available credit. This lack of credit stifles economic growth in every sector of an emerging economy. As part of this study I interviewed both credit firms …
Path To Financial Inclusion: The Success Of Self-Help Groups-Bank Linkage Program In India, Sivakumar Venkataramany, Balbir B. Bhasin
Path To Financial Inclusion: The Success Of Self-Help Groups-Bank Linkage Program In India, Sivakumar Venkataramany, Balbir B. Bhasin
WCBT Faculty Publications
Financial inclusion has been a major theme in both industrialized and developing economies in the era of financial globalization. When microcredit institutions have received limited success in many countries, microfinance is being used in India for the purpose of accomplishing universal financial inclusion. This paper recognizes the overwhelming efforts of the Government of India and focuses on the success of the linkage between commercial banks and self-help groups (SHGs). The SHGs comprising predominantly women groups help in the social cause of alleviation of poverty, increase of sustainability, reduction of vulnerability, improvement of capacity building and help the weaker sections build …
Are Credit Unions In Ecuador Achieving Economies Of Scale?, Nick A. Marchio
Are Credit Unions In Ecuador Achieving Economies Of Scale?, Nick A. Marchio
Economics Honors Projects
This study tests the assertion that membership growth in credit unions is constrained by their unique structural features, such as their non-profit mission and member-based ownership. Although these features enhance inclusiveness, existing theory suggest that they work against efficiency when membership grows too diffuse. To address this issue, this study uses a model that takes into account existing theory on constrained-optimization in credit unions and theory on the adverse effects of diffuse ownership. Using data on 36 public credit unions in Ecuador, the empirical analysis finds evidence that credit unions can achieve economies of scale despite their problematic structural features. …