UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Microfinance: development intervention or just another bank?

Korth, Marcel; Stewart, Ruth; van Rooyen, Carina; de Wet, Thea; (2012) Microfinance: development intervention or just another bank? Journal of Agrarian Change , 12 (4) pp. 575-586.

[thumbnail of Journal_Agrarian_Change_microfinance.pdf] Text
Journal_Agrarian_Change_microfinance.pdf - Published Version
Access restricted to Registered users only

Download (259kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

This paper is based on a systematic review of evidence of the impact of microfinance on the lives of poor women, men and children in sub-Saharan Africa. It focuses specifically on longer-term non-financial outcomes related to health and nutrition and education. The paper contrasts microfinance's early days' initially refreshing and encouraging promises of a development initiative that empowers people to help themselves while ‘paying for itself’ with a more gloomy picture that derives from the synthesis results of our systematic review. It presents two simple models that show the pathways from microfinance to increased investment in improved health and education, contrasting theory with our synthesis results. Our discussion highlights that thinking through microfinance makes it necessary to thoroughly investigate both the theory behind interventions and the evidence for their impact. It raises the essential question: Is microfinance about providing banking services to the unbanked, or is microfinance a development intervention that concerns itself with the attainment of long-term sustainable responses to high levels of poverty?

Type: Article
Title: Microfinance: development intervention or just another bank?
Language: English
UCL classification: UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10011672
Downloads since deposit
0Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item