Empowering and shaping gender relations? Contesting the microfinance–gender empowerment discourse

Abstract

This article critically examines the role of microfinance in shaping gender relations and empowerment outcomes for women. One aim of advancing credit to women is to empower them, thereby increasing their bargaining power and challenging existing gender subordination. We caution against this view and instead show that the mainstream argument is much more complex than what the popular rhetoric preaches. We argue that lack of a systematic strategy to incorporate men and the wider socio-cultural dynamics within which women are domiciled radically constrain the empowerment potential of microcredit programmes, and in some contexts may lead to unintended consequences for women.

Cet article examine sous un angle critique le rôle du microfinancement au moment de façonner les rapports entre les sexes et les résultats sur le plan de l'autonomisation pour les femmes. L'un des objectifs de l'octroi de crédit aux femmes est leur autonomisation, en accroissant leur pouvoir de négociation et en mettant en question la subordination existante entre les sexes. Nous mettons en garde contre cette manière de voir et montrons que l'argument dominant est en fait beaucoup plus complexe que ce que préconise la rhétorique populaire. Nous soutenons que l'absence d'une stratégie systématique pour incorporer les hommes dans la dynamique socioculturelle large au sein de laquelle évoluent les femmes a pour effet de contraindre radicalement le potentiel d'autonomisation des programmes de microcrédit et que, dans certains contextes, cela peut entraîner des conséquences imprévues pour les femmes.

El presente artículo examina de manera crítica el papel desempeñado por las microfinanzas en términos de moldear las relaciones de género y de promover el empoderamiento de las mujeres. Uno de los objetivos buscados a la hora de brindar crédito a las mujeres tiene que ver con empoderarlas, de manera de elevar su poder de negociación y de cuestionar su actual subordinación basada en el género. Los autores aconsejan no aceptar esta perspectiva, mostrando en su lugar, que el argumento sostenido por la corriente dominante es mucho más complejo de lo pregonado por la retórica popular. Asimismo, afirman que la falta de una estrategia que incorpore sistemáticamente a los hombres, y las dinámicas socioculturales más generales —de acuerdo a las cuales las mujeres son relegadas a su casa—, restringen de manera contundente la potencialidad de los programas de microfinanzas en términos del empoderamiento, los cuales incluso, en algunos contextos pueden conllevar consecuencias no deseadas para las mujeres.

Keywords:

• Labour and livelihoods – Microfinance
• Gender and diversity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Thomas Yeboah is a trained policy analyst and an academic with interdisciplinary research interest that focuses on children and young people's migration and development, microfinance and gender, analysis and interpretation of policy discourses in Africa and general development issues. He is currently undertaking his PhD in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, UK and serves as a Research Fellow at the College of Distance Education (CoDE), University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Albert A. Arhin is a trained policy analyst and a scholar who is interested in interdisciplinary research that uses theories from both the natural and social sciences to understand the multidimensional nature of poverty, natural resource management and governance, and general social development policies. He is currently a PhD candidate at the Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, UK, as a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

Emmanuel Kumi is a PhD student in International Development at the Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, UK. His current research focuses on Ghanaian NGOs response to a changing development aid landscape. He is an author of a great deal of research studies on neo-liberalism and sustainable development, poverty and livelihood of cocoa farmers as well as NGOs and development.

Lucy Owusu is currently undertaking an MSC Public Health at the University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. Her research focuses on policy strategies to improve maternal and child health as well as women empowerment. She has experience in the area of qualitative and quantitative survey designs, data collection and report writing.