Micro-finance: A Study on the Empowerment of Women
Author
Andersen, Maria
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2011
Submitted on
2011-11-05
Pages
106
Abstract
Kvinders empowerment er blevet et centralt mål i udviklingsarbejde. Mikrofinans—små lån og enkle finansielle ydelser til mennesker med lave indkomster—er ofte blevet fremhævet som en vej til at bekæmpe fattigdom og styrke kvinder. Ordningen når i dag ud til kunder over hele verden, mange af dem kvinder, og forbindes ofte med løfter om empowerment. Samtidig peger kritikere på, at mikrofinans i sin nuværende form ikke altid fører til empowerment. Dette speciale undersøger sammenhængen mellem mikrofinans og kvinders empowerment med udgangspunkt i eksisterende studier og feltarbejde i Kenya i sommeren 2013. Det ser også på, hvad det indebærer at vurdere udviklingsprojekter ud fra brede kriterier som “empowerment”. Undersøgelsen finder, at empowerment ikke er en automatisk følge af mikrofinans; mulighederne afhænger af, hvordan ydelserne tilrettelægges og leveres. Specialet anbefaler mere dybdegående forskning og advarer mod at bruge empowerment som et for stramt mål for succes.
Women’s empowerment has become a central goal in development work. Microfinance—small loans and basic financial services for people with low incomes—has often been promoted as a way to reduce poverty and empower women. It now reaches clients around the world, many of them women, and is commonly linked to promises of empowerment. At the same time, critics argue that current forms of microfinance do not consistently lead to empowerment. This thesis explores how microfinance relates to women’s empowerment, drawing on existing research and on fieldwork conducted in Kenya in summer 2013. It also examines what it means to judge development projects by broad criteria such as “empowerment.” The study finds that empowerment is not an automatic outcome of microfinance; potential benefits depend on how services are designed and delivered. The thesis recommends further in-depth research and cautions against using empowerment as a rigid yardstick for success.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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