Canadian imperialism and the politics of microfinance

Abstract

This article uncovers the political and gendered logics underpinning commercialized microfinance as promoted by the Canadian development sector. Utilizing social reproduction theory, theories of imperialism, and discourse analysis, I posit that, above all else, the primary political logic of microfinance is to financialize the social reproduction of poor women in the Global South. I further posit that the provision of microfinance coheres with Canadian imperialist ambitions, contributing to strategies of capital expansion into communities in the Global South.