Microcredit Impact on Children's Education and Women Empowerment: A Review Experience of Grameen Bank Microfinance Schemes in Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper reviews empirical evidence on the common findings from the existing literature on Grameen Bank microcredit performance on the borrower's literacy of children and empowerment in Bangladesh. The study collected relevant findings from the existing literature from the various sources. The study output revealed that Grameen Bank members are doing well to increase the borrower's literacy of children and empowerment compared to non members and control groups. However, the literatures also record few criticisms about the effective uses of microcredit rather than commercial mentality for profit making of MFIs.

Role of social business in women entrepreneurship development in Bangladesh: perspectives from Nobin Udyokta projects of Grameen Telecom Trust

“…Indicators of empowerment often include control over resources, participation in household and community decision-making, mobility in the public sphere, feelings of self-worth and efficacy, and better treatment at home and in the community (Kabeer, 2001;Noponen, 2003). Bhuiyan et. al., (2013) use growth of income and consumption, the reduction of vulnerability to and alleviation of poverty, health, safety, and children's schooling as factors defining empowerment.…”

“…Weber and Ahmed (2014) viewed empowerment from two perspective; financial empowerment and social empowerment. Financial empowerment indicators are the utilization of the loan (Khan & Noree, 2012), the contribution to household expenditure (Kabeer, 2001;Schuler & Rottach, 2010), income and income decision (Bhuiyan et al, 2013), equal participation in resource allocation (Muhammad et al, 2012), and savings (Khan & Noree, 2012). While social empowerment indicators are domestic decision making (Hunt & Kasynathan, 2001;Todd, 1996), schooling of children (Bhuiyan et al, 2013;Nader, 2008), and freedom of movement (Kabeer, 2005;Noponen, 2003).…”

Development of Islamic Microfinance

“…This is an increasing trend every year in both rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, MFIs seek to provide access to credit to the poor for poverty alleviation and improving livelihood status (Bhuiyan et al, 2011). However, poverty alleviation and social welfare improvement in Bangladesh are still not comprehensive.…”

The Multidimensional Nature of Women's Empowerment: Beyond the Economic Approach

“…Some studies place women's income and financial decisions along the economic dimension (e.g. Bhuiyan, Siwar, Ismail, & Hossain, 2013;Weber & Ahmad, 2014), but other studies (e.g. Mahmud et al, 2012;Heath, 2014) place these decisions together with non-financial decisions on the familial dimension.…”