Microcredit: Empowerment and disempowerment of rural women in Ghana

John Kuumuori Ganle; Kwadwo Afriyie; Alexander Yao Segbefia

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.027

Microcredit: Empowerment and disempowerment of rural women in Ghana

John Kuumuori Ganle
, Kwadwo Afriyie
, Alexander Yao Segbefia

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

194 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Microcredit for women is a commonly used strategy for women empowerment. Based on longitudinal qualitative research with rural women who are involved in an NGO-run micro-lending program in Ghana, this paper examines the empowerment effects of rural women's access to microcredit. We found that some women are empowered as a result of their access to credit; some have little control over the use of loans and are not better off; and some are subjected to harassment and are worse off due to their inability to repay loans in time. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	335-345
Number of pages	11
Journal	World Development
Volume	66
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.027
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2015
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Disempowerment
Empowerment
Ghana
Microcredit
Women

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.027

Cite this

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title = "Microcredit: Empowerment and disempowerment of rural women in Ghana",

abstract = "Microcredit for women is a commonly used strategy for women empowerment. Based on longitudinal qualitative research with rural women who are involved in an NGO-run micro-lending program in Ghana, this paper examines the empowerment effects of rural women's access to microcredit. We found that some women are empowered as a result of their access to credit; some have little control over the use of loans and are not better off; and some are subjected to harassment and are worse off due to their inability to repay loans in time. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed.",

keywords = "Disempowerment, Empowerment, Ghana, Microcredit, Women",

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doi = "10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.027",

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AU - Ganle, John Kuumuori

AU - Afriyie, Kwadwo

AU - Segbefia, Alexander Yao

PY - 2015/2/1

Y1 - 2015/2/1

N2 - Microcredit for women is a commonly used strategy for women empowerment. Based on longitudinal qualitative research with rural women who are involved in an NGO-run micro-lending program in Ghana, this paper examines the empowerment effects of rural women's access to microcredit. We found that some women are empowered as a result of their access to credit; some have little control over the use of loans and are not better off; and some are subjected to harassment and are worse off due to their inability to repay loans in time. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed.

AB - Microcredit for women is a commonly used strategy for women empowerment. Based on longitudinal qualitative research with rural women who are involved in an NGO-run micro-lending program in Ghana, this paper examines the empowerment effects of rural women's access to microcredit. We found that some women are empowered as a result of their access to credit; some have little control over the use of loans and are not better off; and some are subjected to harassment and are worse off due to their inability to repay loans in time. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed.

KW - Disempowerment

KW - Empowerment

KW - Ghana

KW - Microcredit

KW - Women

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84907787975

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DO - 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.027

M3 - Article

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SN - 0305-750X

VL - 66

SP - 335

EP - 345

JO - World Development

JF - World Development

ER -

Microcredit: Empowerment and disempowerment of rural women in Ghana

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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