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COVID-19 and Microcredit: Dissecting an NGO’s Training, Financial Support, and Women Empowerment Programmes

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  • Senyo Dotsey

    (Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milano, Italy)

Abstract

This paper reports the findings from a microcredit (financial inclusion) scheme that has been operated by a non-governmental organization since 2012 in a local community in Ghana, and sustained through the COVID-19 pandemic. It first examines microfinance, women’s empowerment and third-sector organizational dynamics. It then provides an overview of microfinance in Ghana within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by dissecting the organization’s microcredit, training and women’s empowerment programmes. The following part documents the findings, with brief concluding thoughts and policy implications appearing in the last section. It is argued here that financial schemes, particularly those operated by third-sector organizations, can play a significant role in helping women in particular to deal with the secondary effects of COVID-19 by providing improved non-financial services and easy access to microfinance at low, sustainable interest rates. These findings have implications for policy formulation and sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Senyo Dotsey, 2022. "COVID-19 and Microcredit: Dissecting an NGO’s Training, Financial Support, and Women Empowerment Programmes," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-13, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:11:y:2022:i:9:p:402-:d:907149
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barnett, Barry J. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Skees, Jerry R., 2008. "Poverty Traps and Index-Based Risk Transfer Products," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 1766-1785, October.
    2. Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Klapper, Leora, 2012. "Measuring financial inclusion : the Global Findex Database," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6025, The World Bank.
    3. Carlos Serrano-Cinca & Begoña Gutiérrez-Nieto & Beatriz Cuéllar Fernández & Yolanda Fuertes-Callén, 2013. "Poverty penalty and microfinance," Working Papers CEB 13-029, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
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