IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijfss/v7y2019i3p37-d244850.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Empowering Women through Microcredit in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

Author

Listed:
  • Dalia Debnath

    (College of Economics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China)

  • Md. Sadique Rahman

    (Department of Management and Finance, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh)

  • Debasish Chandra Acharjee

    (Department of Agribusiness, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh)

  • Waqas Umar Latif

    (College of Economics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China)

  • Linping Wang

    (College of Economics, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China)

Abstract

The present study was carried out to identify the determinants of microcredit accessibility by rural women households and its impact on rural women empowerment in Bangladesh. A face-to-face survey was conducted during 2018, interviewing 300 women households in two locations in Bangladesh. Descriptive statistics and econometric modeling were used to achieve the objectives. The results of the study showed that the higher annual income inversely related with the accessibility to the microcredit program, whereas family size ( P < 0.05) was positive and significantly influenced the accessibility to the microcredit program. The empirical results indicate that borrowers of microcredit have greater control over their own savings. The regression outcome also exposes that microcredit has a positive and significant impact on enhancing participation in household decision making process and women’s legal awareness. The study suggested that microcredit providers in Bangladesh should be encouraged to review their program planning and redesign loan products by putting more emphasis on higher income group women.

Suggested Citation

  • Dalia Debnath & Md. Sadique Rahman & Debasish Chandra Acharjee & Waqas Umar Latif & Linping Wang, 2019. "Empowering Women through Microcredit in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-11, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:7:y:2019:i:3:p:37-:d:244850
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/7/3/37/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/7/3/37/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sen, Amartya, 2001. "Development as Freedom," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192893307.
    2. Goetz, Anne Marie & Gupta, Rina Sen, 1996. "Who takes the credit? Gender, power, and control over loan use in rural credit programs in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 45-63, January.
    3. Garikipati, Supriya, 2008. "The Impact of Lending to Women on Household Vulnerability and Women's Empowerment: Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2620-2642, December.
    4. repec:pri:rpdevs:morduch_microfinance_poor is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Mark M. Pitt & Shahidur R. Khandker, 1998. "The Impact of Group-Based Credit Programs on Poor Households in Bangladesh: Does the Gender of Participants Matter?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(5), pages 958-996, October.
    6. Morduch, Jonathan, 1999. "The role of subsidies in microfinance: evidence from the Grameen Bank," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 229-248, October.
    7. Pitt, Mark M & Khandker, Shahidur R & Cartwright, Jennifer, 2006. "Empowering Women with Micro Finance: Evidence from Bangladesh," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(4), pages 791-831, July.
    8. Xia Li & Christopher Gan & Baiding Hu, 2011. "The impact of microcredit on women's empowerment: evidence from China," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 239-261.
    9. Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo & Rachel Glennerster & Cynthia Kinnan, 2015. "The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 22-53, January.
    10. M. Wakilur Rahman & Jianchao Luo & Zhao Minjuan, 2015. "Welfare Impacts of Microcredit Programmes: An Empirical Investigation in the State‐Designated Poor Counties of Shaanxi, China," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(7), pages 1012-1026, October.
    11. Francis Nathan Okurut, 2006. "Access to credit by the poor in South Africa: Evidence from Household Survey Data 1995 and 2000," Working Papers 13/2006, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    12. Hashemi, Syed M. & Schuler, Sidney Ruth & Riley, Ann P., 1996. "Rural credit programs and women's empowerment in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 635-653, April.
    13. Hermes, Niels & Lensink, Robert, 2011. "Microfinance: Its Impact, Outreach, and Sustainability," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 875-881, June.
    14. Jonathan Morduch, 1998. "Does Microfinance Really Help the Poor? New Evidence from Flagship Programs in Bangladesh," Working Papers 198, Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Research Program in Development Studies..
    15. Zaman, Hassan, 1999. "Assessing the impact of micro-credit on poverty and vulnerability in Bangladesh," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2145, The World Bank.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Samer Ali Al-shami & Abdullah Al Mamun & Nurulizwa Rashid & Mohammed Al-shami, 2021. "Microcredit Impact on Socio-Economic Development and Women Empowerment in Low-Income Countries: Evidence from Yemen," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Bashir Kurfi Babangida & Barjoyai Bardai, 2022. "Determining Factors That Improve Youths’ Economic Empowerment in Katsina State, Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 6(6), pages 798-808, June.
    3. Jinnat Ara & Dipanwita Sarkar, 2021. "Customized Credit Transfer and Women Empowerment: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials in Bangladesh," QuBE Working Papers 062, QUT Business School.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gutiérrez-Nieto, Begoña & Serrano-Cinca, Carlos, 2019. "20 years of research in microfinance: An information management approach," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 183-197.
    2. Jinnat Ara & Dipanwita Sarkar, 2021. "Customized Credit Transfer and Women Empowerment: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials in Bangladesh," QuBE Working Papers 062, QUT Business School.
    3. Simon Zaby, 2019. "Science Mapping of the Global Knowledge Base on Microfinance: Influential Authors and Documents, 1989–2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-21, July.
    4. Mohamed Arouri & Nguyen Viet Cuong, 2020. "Does microcredit reduce the gender gap in employment? Evidence from Egypt," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 111-124, June.
    5. Chin, Yoo-Mi, 2012. "Credit Program Participation and Decline in Violence: Does Self-Selection Matter?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1690-1699.
    6. Islam, Asadul & Nguyen, Chau & Smyth, Russell, 2015. "Does microfinance change informal lending in village economies? Evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 141-156.
    7. Rahul Nilakantan & Deepak Iyengar & Samar K. Datta & Shashank Rao, 2021. "On Ethical Violations in Microfinance Backed Small Businesses: Family and Household Welfare," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(4), pages 785-802, September.
    8. Piot-Lepetit, Isabelle & Nzongang, Joseph, 2014. "Financial sustainability and poverty outreach within a network of village banks in Cameroon: A multi-DEA approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 234(1), pages 319-330.
    9. Schicks, Jessica, 2014. "Over-Indebtedness in Microfinance – An Empirical Analysis of Related Factors on the Borrower Level," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 301-324.
    10. Ashish Bajracharya & Sajeda Amin, 2013. "Microcredit and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh: An Exploration of Selection Bias Influences," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(5), pages 1819-1843, October.
    11. Sodokin, Koffi & Djafon, Joseph Kokouvi & Dandonougbo, Yevessé & Akakpo, Afi & Couchoro, Mawuli K. & Agbodji, Akoété Ega, 2023. "Technological change, completeness of financing microstructures, and impact on well-being and income inequality," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6).
    12. Duvendack, Maren & Palmer-Jones, Richard, 2011. "The microfinance of reproduction and the reproduction of microfinance: understanding the connections between microfinance, empowerment, contraception and fertility in Bangladesh in the 1990s," MPRA Paper 32384, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Félix, Elisabete Gomes Santana & Belo, Teresa Freitas, 2019. "The impact of microcredit on poverty reduction in eleven developing countries in south-east Asia," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 52.
    14. Maria Porter, 2016. "Effects of microcredit and other loans on female empowerment in Bangladesh: the borrower's gender influences intra-household resource allocation," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(2), pages 235-245, March.
    15. Chliova, Myrto & Brinckmann, Jan & Rosenbusch, Nina, 2015. "Is microcredit a blessing for the poor? A meta-analysis examining development outcomes and contextual considerations," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 467-487.
    16. Maren Duvendack & Richard Palmer-Jones, 2012. "High Noon for Microfinance Impact Evaluations: Re-investigating the Evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(12), pages 1864-1880, December.
    17. Abdullah Al-Mamun & Mohammad Nurul Huda Mazumder & C.A. Malarvizhi, 2014. "Measuring the effect of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s microcredit programme on economic vulnerability among hardcore poor households," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 14(1), pages 49-59, January.
    18. Arvind Ashta & Chandralekha Ghosh & Samapti Guha & Frank Lentz, 2021. "Knowledge in Microsocial Milieus: the Case of Microfinance Practices Among Women in India," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(1), pages 146-165, March.
    19. Mahmud Minhaj & Otsuka Keijiro & Sawada Yasuyuki & Tanaka Mari & Tanaka Tomomi, 2017. "Women Empowerment in Bangladesh: Household Decisions under Development of Non-Farm Sectors and Microfinance Institutions," Working Papers 154, JICA Research Institute.
    20. Shahidur R. Khandker, 2005. "Microfinance and Poverty: Evidence Using Panel Data from Bangladesh," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 19(2), pages 263-286.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:7:y:2019:i:3:p:37-:d:244850. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.