This book offers a critical perspective on the issues related to women’s empowerment, microfinance, and entrepreneurship in India. Written by distinguishing experts in this field, this book highlights women’s empowerment, which is a process of entrusting power to an individual on the control over resources and decisions. However, these two factors are less effective in a society where religion and cultural dominance is high. The book sheds light on the social security measures undertaken by the government aiming to the right to work helped women who are bounded by social restrictions. Over time there is a shift in rural occupational structure towards non-farm activities, which is largely distress driven self-employment. Access to credit is a great source to provide self-employment that develops self-esteem among women and uplift their position. The book highlights the discrimination against women entrepreneurs in access to credit led to gender biased entrepreneurial society. Association with self-help groups (SHGs) has made women more socially empowered. SHG members help them to change their life in a positive manner through micro-entrepreneurial activities. The book has emphasized on the role of microfinance, which has served the poor to become financially self-reliant. It is observed that for second generation borrowers, the impact of microfinance seems to fizzle out, where MFIs who are gaining efficiency are diverting their objective of servicing poor, signalling a sign of mission drift.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2011 in the subject Economics - Finance, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, course: Business Administration, language: English, abstract: This research study investigates the impact assessment of microfinance on women entrepreneurs in SMEs. The researchers used case study, questionnaire as an instrument of primary data collection and secondary data. Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel were used in data presentation and analysis. Random sampling of women entrepreneurs were used to select a sample size of sixty (60) respondents. For clear analysis, the study centers on three broad variables for impact assessments which are business, household and sociopolitical. The study reveals that microfinance has a positive impact on women entrepreneurs in relation to their business, household, socially and politically. The research also found out that the level of interest rate charged is a potential contribution to loan delinquency and the demand of collateral securities is a challenge to women entrepreneurs in their quest to access loan from MFIs. Also, the researcher contains recommendations to MFIs and women entrepreneurs in SMEs in the Kumasi Metropolis.

The African Development Bank's (AfDB) Addis Ababa Forum in June 2003 focused on the role of women entrepreneurs in private sector development, poverty reduction, and sustainable growth and development. It provided an opportunity for the AfDB and the International Labour Office (ILO) to join forces using their complementary expertise in support of women-owned businesses in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia. This report is based on the country assessment for Kenya, where the ILO has been researching and supporting women's entrepreneurship. Examining such issues as the economic context, micro-finance.

Empowering Women Through Microfinance in Developing Countries is a book that explores how microfinance can be used to empower women in developing countries. It provides theoretical and empirical insights from industry experts, experienced researchers, and policymakers on the problems, processes, and prospects of using microfinance as a catalyst for women's empowerment in the developing world. The book covers a range of topics, including the impact of microfinance interventions on women's empowerment, financial inclusion, and women's entrepreneurship, poverty reduction among women, and small and medium-sized enterprise growth. This book addresses the lack of understanding about how microfinance can be used to empower women in developing countries. The insights provided in this book will be valuable for researchers, students, microfinance institutions, policymakers, state institutions, managers, non-governmental organizations, and financial institutions looking to expand their product portfolio and outreach. The book also provides policy directions and rethinking of practice in using microfinance as a strategy for eliminating barriers to women's empowerment in developing countries.

Micro finance is the provision of a diverse range of financial services and products, including small loans (micro credit), saving accounts, insurance, pensions, and money transfers. In India, these are designed to assist people living in poverty who are not able to access financial services in the mainstream banking sector because they have no collateral, formal identification, or steady income. Micro enterprises contribute significantly to economic growth, equity, and social stability. The sector is one of the most important vehicles through which India's low-income-earning people can escape poverty. With limited skills and education, poor women, particularly in rural areas, find tremendous economic opportunities in micro enterprises. This book explains and examines the role of micro finance and micro enterprises in empowering women from disadvantaged sections of the Indian economy.

The African Development Bank's (AfDB) Addis Ababa Forum in June 2003 focused on the role of women entrepreneurs in private sector development, poverty reduction, and sustainable growth and development. It provided an opportunity for the AfDB and the International Labour Office (ILO) to join forces using their complementary expertise in support of women-owned businesses in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia. This report is based on the country assessment for Tanzania, where the ILO has been researching and supporting women's entrepreneurship. Examining such issues as the economic context, micro-fina.

Fostering the entrepreneurship of women is important for Pakistan's economic growth and inclusion agenda, and access to financial services is an important component of starting and growing a business for women entrepreneurs. The original purpose of Are Pakistan's Women Entrepreneurs Being Served by the Microfinance Sector? was to determine whether women entrepreneurs have access to, and are using, microfinance loans as a source of finance for their businesses. However, the findings of the book go beyond the narrow objective of understanding whether microfinance providers are reaching Pakistan's businesswomen. As the research unfolded, the evidence suggested that not only are women entrepreneurs not being served, but also most of the loans for women clients are actually being used by a male family member-a brother, a son, a husband, a father. Actual numbers are hard to pin down, but an estimated 50 to 70 percent of the loans on the books for women clients are solely used by another household member, while the woman 'borrower' is responsible for attending all the group meetings, all repayments or delinquencies, and all the transactions costs. This book focuses on products, services, policies, and other elements of the business model of microfinance in Pakistan that affect both demand for and access to microfinance by women borrowers, some of whom fall into the narrower category of entrepreneurs. Financial services are important for women who are starting and growing a business, but in Pakistan microfinance providers are not reaching the country's businesswomen. Most loans made to women borrowers are passed on to male relatives, many loan products for women are not suitable for small businesses, and discriminatory practices are pervasive. The information presented in Are Pakistan's Women Entrepreneurs Being Served by the Microfinance Sector? will be useful to development practitioners, entrepreneurs, policy makers, businesswomen, and students of microfinance in Pakistan and around the world.

The African Development Bank's (AfDB) Addis Ababa Forum in June 2003 focused on the role of women entrepreneurs in private sector development, poverty reduction, and sustainable growth and development. It provided an opportunity for the AfDB and the International Labour Office (ILO) to join forces using their complementary expertise in support of women-owned businesses in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia. This report is based on the country assessment for Ethiopia, where the ILO has been researching and supporting women's entrepreneurship. Examining such issues as the economic context, micro-fina.