Bound Volume Number
VI
Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-5-2015
Capstone Advisor
Dr. Robin Riley
Honors Reader
Dr. Dana Olwan
Capstone Major
Women's and Gender Studies
Capstone College
Arts and Science
Audio/Visual Component
no
Keywords
microcredit lending, empowerment, women
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Social Sciences
Subject Categories
Gender and Sexuality
Abstract
Microcredit lending is a practice that has become increasingly common, as people and economic institutions hail its ability to offer economic opportunities to people in the developing world. The practice of lending small amounts to individuals or groups began with the creation of the Grameen Bank, and has since become considered one of the best tools for the economic empowerment of women in the so-called Global South. To best understand the potential, or lack thereof, of microlending practices to enable the further empowerment of women in terms of their economic and social status, I hope to break down the terminology surrounding this topic as it has progressed since its initial use within the Grameen Bank. As microfinance institutions have been created across the globe, their variations and uses of interest have led to problematic circumstances for the people who get these microcredit loans.
In order to understand the benefits and consequences of the practice of targeting women as ideal recipients of microloans, it is necessary to perform a critical analysis of the variations of microlending techniques and their potential for true economic change in the lives of the loan recipients. To do this, I will explore the history of microcredit lending, as well as the terminology that surrounds it. Utilizing my personal experience from working with a company aimed at helping microbusinesses in Santiago, Chile, I criticize the potential of organizations such as Kiva and TechnoServe, which facilitate these types of loans, to understand their true potential for furthering the economic successes of individuals’ and their communities. Furthermore, to understand the variety of microlending institutions formed, far from the original model of the Grameen Bank, I examine the case study of Peru to understand how models of lending practices vary in their strategies and successes within a specific region.
Recommended Citation
Waghorne, Rebecca Lynne, "A Gendered Analysis of a Movement for Microloans: Problematizing the Micro-Craze in the Developing World" (2015). Honors Capstone Projects - All. 865.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/865
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
