Impact of Micro-Financing on Women Empowerment in Bangladesh

Abstract

Micro financing is a very popular form of financing for rural poor people, especially for women. Through micro financing many rural women changed their life. They change their living standard, children health, children education and so on. The aim of this research work is to examine the role of microcredit in income generating activities of women and its impact on their socio-economic empowerment. The target population of the research was those sample both men and women who had availed microcredit facilities from some microcredit providing institutions or organizations in district Noakhali, Bangladesh. During this research, we also include some male sample to compare percentage of self-employment. Survey method was used as techniques of data collection. The majority of population was illiterate or semi-literate, so interview schedule was used as a tool of data collection. We have collected information of 109 sample including both male and female. But majority are female. Descriptive as well as non parametric test was used for data analysis. The results showed that most of the females who availed the facility of microcredit finally got socioeconomic empowerment through acquiring the self esteem, business skills, confidence level, decision making power, etc. The findings of the research showed that microcredit has significant impact on the up lift of socio-economic empowerment of the borrowers in district Noakhali and at the end of the research, some recommendations is given in this regards.