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Cited by 435Microfinance and Financial InclusionGender, Labor, and Family DynamicsLivestock Management and Performance Improvement

Does microfinance empower women? Evidence from self‐help groups in India

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Swain, Ranjula Bali, Wallentin, Fan Yang·2009·International Review of Applied Economics
DOI 10.1080/02692170903007540
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Abstract

Microfinance programmes like the Self Help Bank Linkage Program in India have been increasingly promoted for their positive economic impact and the belief that they empower women. However, only a few studies rigorously examine the link between microfinance and women’s empowerment. This article contributes to this discussion by arguing that women’s empowerment takes place when women challenge the existing social norms and culture, to effectively improve their well‐being. It empirically validates this hypothesis by using quasi‐experimental household sample data collected for five states in India for 2000 and 2003. A general model is estimated by employing appropriate techniques to treat the ordinal variables in order to estimate the impact of the Self Help Group (SHG) on women’s empowerment for 2000 and 2003. The results strongly demonstrate that on average, there is a significant increase in the empowerment of women in the SHG members group. No such significant change is observed however, for the members of the control group. The elegance of the result lies in the fact that the group of SHG participants show clear evidence of a significant and higher empowerment, while allowing for the possibility that some members might have been more empowered than others.

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Crossref · 10.1080/02692170903007540

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  • Many, though not all, IIT graduates, founders of pioneering Indian software companies, and nearly all Nobel prize winners of Indian origin come from privileged castes and class backgrounds.

    “Many, though not all, graduates of Indian Institutes of Technology, founders of pioneering Indian software companies and nearly all Nobel prize winners of Indian origin have come from privileged castes and class backgrounds [71,196].”

    From Re-imagining Algorithmic Fairness in India and Beyond (2021) · cites this paper as [196]

  • Many respondents said the Indian technology sector claimed to be merit-based and open to anyone highly gifted in technical sciences.

    “Many respondents described how the Indian technology sector claimed to be 'merit-based', open to anyone highly gifted in the technical sciences; but many have pointed to how merit is a function of caste privilege [196,207].”

    From Re-imagining Algorithmic Fairness in India and Beyond (2021) · cites this paper as [196]

  • Many have pointed out that merit in the Indian technology sector is a function of caste privilege.

    “many have pointed to how merit is a function of caste privilege [196,207].”

    From Re-imagining Algorithmic Fairness in India and Beyond (2021) · cites this paper as [196]

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Authors
Swain, R. B., & Wallentin, F. Y.
Affiliations
Uppsala University (SE)
Corresponding author
Swain, Ranjula Bali
ORCID
Swain, Ranjula Bali
Venue
International Review of Applied Economics
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2009-09
Volume
23
Issue
5
Pages
541-556
ISSN
  • 0269-2171 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-3486
DOI
10.1080/02692170903007540
OpenAlex
W2154775467
Cited by
435
References
19
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 12
FWCI
20.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • International Review of Applied Economics (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Uppsala University Publications (Uppsala University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Econstor (Econstor) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Microfinance and Financial Inclusion
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Livestock Management and Performance Improvement
Keywords
microfinance, women's empowerment, self-help groups, social norms, household welfare, India

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