Micro-finance's Role in Empowering Women Farmers, Bangladesh

This dissertation investigates the impact of micro-finance on women's empowerment, using Bangladesh as a case study. The research begins with an overview of micro-finance and women's empowerment, highlighting their significance in fostering economic independence and social change. It examines the historical context, focusing on initiatives like Grameen Bank and BRAC, and their role in providing micro-credit to women. The study aims to determine the positive and negative impacts of micro-finance on women, particularly small-scale farmers. The literature review delves into the background of micro-finance in Bangladesh, its evolution, and its impact on poverty reduction and women's economic activities, including mobility, economic security and participation in family decisions. The research questions if micro-finance has positive or negative impacts on women empowerment in Bangladesh. The findings are expected to contribute to the understanding of micro-finance's role in empowering women and inform strategies for sustainable development.

DISSERTATION

Title: The impact of micro-finance and women empowerment: A case study of small-scale
farmers in Bangladesh.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Overview of Research
Micro-finance is also known as micro-credit which is explained as type of baking service
provided to those individuals which are unemployed and have low-income or they don't have any
type of access to financial services. There are several institutions which provide microloans and
there are several institutions which participate in area of micro-finance the amount of loan differs
from institution to institution. Several bank focuses on providing various services such as
checking and savings account which is considered as micro-insurance products. Several banks
also focus on providing financial and business education. Micro-finance is basically an attempt
to make people self-sufficient and give them an opportunity to become independent.
Entrepreneurs also depends on this type of finance as it helps them in keeping their business
running and these type of funding help start-ups in keeping their business alive. Start-up these
days need capital and micro-finance helps in getting the appropriate help in terms of investment.
These type of programmes help in focusing on bookkeeping, cash-flow management and
technical and professional skills such as accounting. Like any other loans micro-finance take
charge interest on their loans and they focus on getting repayment at specific level of time. There
are several micro-finance operations all around the world and there are several organisations
which works closely with World Bank and different other smaller institution which operates in
several parts of nation.
Women empowerment is defined as promoting women self-worth and promoting them to
achieve new heights in every field where men are working and to understand their abilities and
capabilities and use those abilities to achieve new heights in life. It is also explained as
influencing the society and other people of society to make change in terms of development of
women and focuses on developing their skills and knowledge for their own growth and
development. It is very similar to female empowerment which is explained as fundamental
human right which is focused towards achieving a peaceful and prosperous world. The women
empowerment is related with development of women in every society and treating them equally
to men in every field and providing equal opportunities in terms of their growth and development

which can help them in influencing the society and implementing social changes in the society.
Women empowerment principles focuses on gender equality in corporate scenario as equal
opportunities for growth and development should be provided to women. All people should be
treated equally and fairly at workplace and environment of workplace shouldn't be bias for one
gender and there should be no discrimination on basis of gender at workplace. Every worker
health and wellbeing should be ensured and education, training and development of women
should be promoted to make them successful and skilful. Gender equality which is a basic human
right should be followed and every it is very important in building a peaceful and prosperous
world. In every nation girls and women faces various challenges and they are considered as
underappreciated and under-rated and woman empowerment is the only way by which women
can promoted at higher level with overcoming all the problems.
Background of the research
Micro-finance which is also known as micro-credit started in Bangladesh in middle of 1970.
Micro-finance which helps in making people self-sufficient which are unemployed has helped
people of Bangladesh by providing credit to poor women. It is focused on providing loan to
women which are not self-sufficient and focused on promoting women empowerment. Grameen
Bank is the institution which provided micro-credit to poor women and it is shown that in 1980
the 65 percent of borrowers was poor women. This initiative focused on making women of
Bangladesh independent as they don't have to depend on men economically. Patriarchal family
structure in poor population have affected woman empowerment and the initiative of Micro-
finance have shown the initiative of woman empowerment in Bangladesh. BRAC and Grameen
Ban showed the great participation in initiative of providing micro-finance to poor women and
make them independent. It has been found that women which have joined the programme of
Grameen Bank and BRAC are more empowered and capable as they don't have to be dependent
on their men economically and the women which doesn't join the programmes are showing
initiative towards the programme. The loans which are provided by Grameen Bank are helping
and contributing in wellbeing of women and their families.
Rationale of Research
The rationale behind conducting this research is to determine the positive and negative impact of
micro-finance in women empowerment. Micro-finance which is an initiative of providing loan to
people who are unemployed or no source of income help in making them self-sufficient and

independent. This research is conducted to understand the impact of micro-finance on woman
empowerment and how micro-finance in Bangladesh helped in making women self-sufficient
and independent. This research is based on both personal and professional contexts. The personal
context behind this research is to understand about micro-finance and its impact in current
scenario and how woman empowerment is helping women in achieving new heights and growth
and development of women. In professional context, researcher can able to determine problems
which are faced by people who survives under poverty line and how micro-finance is helping
them in making capable and what different challenges are faced by women in their development
and how woman empowerment is contributing in development and growth of women in
corporate sector.
Research Aim
Research Aim is explained as what researcher is want to attain at the end of research. The aim of
this research is “The impact of micro-finance and women empowerment: A case study of small-
scale farmers in Bangladesh”.
Research Objectives
These objectives help in understanding what research is trying to attain. This mainly comprises
of what researcher wants to achieve through research.
 To enhance the understanding about micro-finance and women empowerment.
 To examine the benefits of micro- finance on small businesses within Bangladesh.
 To determine the positive impact of micro finance on women empowerment.
 To identify the negative impact of f micro finance on women empowerment.
Research Question
 Does micro-finance have positive or negative impact on women empowerment in
Bangladesh?

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
BACKGROUND- Micro-Finance
This sector is established in Bangladesh in 1970's, it help the people who are self-
employed and make small business creation within Bangladesh. Further it facilitated the women
of Bangladesh and provide revel vent credit to the poor women. As per the view point of
Gustafson and Khandker., (2021); its main aim is to reduce the burden of the poor people, and
reduce poverty within Bangladesh by providing loans for the non-crop activities which are feel
beneficial for traders, livestock and poultry. They are funded by the government of Bangladesh
and many bilateral donors with the help of different groups which are based on saving and
lending programmes. Micro finance actually help the individual workers to make diversifying
borrower's economic activities and help in boosting their income. The income of household are
grew over the period of time and it will be helpful for the society and their people to manage
their basic livelihood in more organised manner (How microfinance has reduced rural poverty in
Bangladesh, 2021). In the nature of non-farming area people are more opportunities and make
diversifying income growth which was almost 29% high than as per the people who are engage
in the activities of farmers. There are main structure of their traditional focus in order to maintain
focus for non-farmers activities. Which are basically related to different aided farmers. They are
borrowing through the different organisation and related to MFI fund rises and make income
which are related to different income and wages which are related to producing more significant
approaches and make positive impact on the women and their empowerment and many marginal
farmers. With the help of these small finance activities it is concluded that there are increase in
culture of women empowerment and boost up their basic livelihood and make income by 3.5%
for the growth and success. There are many indicators which are related to different women
empowerment which are related to: (1) Mobility; which means that women have the freedom to
travel across the certain places. (2) Economic security; which means to provide a relevant
support of different financial activities in order to provide relevant amount of wealth. (3) they
have the ability to make small purchases and make sure about different permission as per the role
of head of family. (4) They can easily make large purchases when they have the formulated
amount of facilities in terms of wealth. (5) Involvement in the major decision of their families
and make a part of their families now. (6) a freedom is provided to them from the dominating
nature of their families where the women have their won control over their own life and success.

Now the women can control their own life as per their own rules. (7) they further get aware with
the political and legal awareness programme. (8) In last with the help of major small finance
sector they get participation in public speaking, protest and campaigning. All of these are very
effective and relevant for the growth of women who are living in Bangladesh. Which are
relatively important and successful for assigning the growth as per the need of their own concern
and need. The sector of illiterate sector and poor sector are majorly affected with the help of
small finance institution and get rise from the last several decades.
According to Perkin, (2021); micro finance has a beguiling the nature and simplicity of
success that are prevailing for promote the different financial activities. Which are related to
make resilience activities in order to make specified objectives. The main aim of these institution
are to empower the women and develop the capacity of small groups for the different people who
are controlling different aspects in order to control their own life. Muhammud Yunus founded
the grammen bank in 1983, which are related to arise for small bank details and analysing their
capacities. The initial loan amount of loan was £15 in a single time. And these loans are only
sanctioned to the poor and needy people. They are pro0pviding loan to the very poorest people of
Bangladesh and also in across the Asian (A short history of microfinance, 2021). This was the
initial start-up of small-scale finance banks. Further it is said that the use of Grameen banks is
now provide a relevant institutions programmes for the companies and set micro-enterprises that
actually help the different families to improve their valuable income. This was the very slow and
unauthorised process. As a result the every five percentage of customer of their banks are get
lifted out from the poverty. They are using different approach and make holistic which offer the
funds for different customer related to education and health care facilities.
In the early of 90's, people are get loans and borrow to repay their loans and get
overwhelmed by the structure of debt. And the Grammen Bank of Bangladesh are working more
intensely for providing relevant support and success to remove poverty and educate people as
soon as possible. Meanwhile the use of different sectors and make regular and standardised
micro finance structure which are used for creating the order as per the need of climate where
they have been playing more special role in the economical risk which actually jeopardised many
things which can be related to women empowerment and their basic structure. They are market
their success in order to assigned and make sure about different loans and regulation which are
assigned and manage different loans structure to women. Different MFI's are related to

international acknowledgement which will join the saving if village and make loan groups that
make affected group in order to make a safe and secure environment. Which actually make the
access on money and make influencing borrowings for the future emergencies. So it is
concluded that the use of micro-finance get dispense to make the access for capital small
enterprises. Which are related to micro-finance in related to providing loans, insurance and make
more saving accounts. It is majorly related to the growth and success of women by granting
loans to them and make sure about their education and health facilities.
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

References
Books and Journals
Online
A short history of microfinance, 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.theguardian.com/katine/2008/jun/03/livelihoods.projectgoals1>.
How microfinance has reduced rural poverty in Bangladesh, 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.ifpri.org/blog/how-microfinance-has-reduced-rural-poverty-
bangladeshhttps://www.ifpri.org/blog/how-microfinance-has-reduced-rural-poverty-
bangladesh>