1. Is Really Microcredit Developing Women’s Condition
Development of women has been a long term issue around the world. Government, Non-
government organization, international non-government organization including World Bank,
(Asian Development Bank) ADB and many more social organizations have been working on this
issues since when whole world realized that women are integral part of the social development
and no development is being done without the development of women as women are always
lagging behind in the society. They are isolated, marginalized and even deprived from every
aspect of human rights. They belong to the half of population of the country therefore; their
empowerment is essential for the sake of the development of the society as well as country and
world as whole. Microcredit is important part of discussion here under the context of the real
development of women. It is believed that Microcredit creates a huge impact towards
empowering women. If does it so then why women are still abused, deprived, oppressed, poor
and marginalized in condition, that’s the real fact to be understood.
If we talk about the empowerment of women then we have to know about what are the
development steps have been taken, how they work and how far they reached to develop the
condition of women at a glance as empowerment is the main essence of development. Various
courses of long time, much development process worked in various shapes. Such as:
Women in Development, Women and Development, Gender and Development and Women,
Environment and Development Approaches are the main development programs are must be
mentioned in this respect of women development and finally, empowering women is modern
approach. Different socialists, feminists and women activists have been working to develop the
programs and under the name of the development they have created different programs like
these. Each of the programs has some positive impact on women life though some contradiction
is observed by socialists and feminist activist between one after another while some other think
that these programs failed to address the real facts of women related issues and could not locate
the real problem lies on women life therefore, women position remained in the same position and
women are the poorest of the poor and we came to the idea of theory of dependency. Gustavo
Esteva a Latin American activist, says, “My people are tired of development, they just want to
live”.

2. Finally, empowering women has been included in almost every approaches and programs and
that has given the new shape of development. Empowering women economically has attracted
the attention and created impression among people. Considering Development of women’s life is
to develop their economic condition and that is why Microcredit has created a huge popularity
among people. From the concept of American Liberal Feminists is that only economic
development can bring development towards women and it is more or less related with Women
in Development program. If women come out from their private place (household chores) to
public place and involve them in the earning source and then they will earn money and they will
be self dependent afterwards. Economic development is the main source of development.
Economic power can bring power for women. Before considering the fact it is important to know
what actually empowering means and what about the microcredit and then we will discuss about
the issues relating to empowering women.
There is no certain definition of empowerment and there is nothing to measure the lever of
empowerment. The definition is more like contextual and practical and it differs country to
country, culture to culture and most importantly from the religion context and many more. we
can have the overall idea regarding the empowerment from ideas of some socialists and feminists
that is empowerment refers to a range of activities from self assertion to collective resistance,
protest and mobilization that challenge basic power relation in terms of economic, social and
political development by their active participation with their full of potentials. Hence, we need to
think from the contextual definition of women development and make relation to Microcredit as
whether does it really work for real development of women from the context of Bangladesh?
Microcredit has been working for empowering women’s economic condition and it is believed
that it has brought a positive change of women’s life. However, It is the matter of great
contradiction on whether it does improve women’s life or not. On the other hand, Microcredit is
the form of very small loans and it can be said as microloans. Clients can borrow small amount
of money and invest that money for developing their income source. It is designed to support
entrepreneurship to alleviate poverty with the intention of empowering women. As of 2009 an
estimated 74 million men and women held microloans that totaled US$38 billion. Grameen
Bank reports that repayment success rates are between 95 and 98 percent. Modern microcredit is

3. generally considered to have originated with the Grameen Bank founded in Bangladesh in 1983.
The study of success rate is done in macro level not micro level. It gives the overall situation of
country rather investigating the individual life condition of women. However, some study have
assessed microcredit with close views and gave us idea about how microcredit created impact of
women’s life and as well as their social and economic life towards empowering themselves. Now
we can understand the actual scenario of microcredit that has illustrated from practical point of
view. The real controversy on of how Microcredit is empowering women. Considering economic
development for empowering women microcredit has been playing an important role in the
society. Microcredit gives women opportunities in participating labor force. Life of women’s
participation has changed into a different dimension. Specially, this change has brought strong
change for other family members, particularly of children but also of the elderly and of adult
men of the family. This is more like related with the relationship between socio-economic
developments. Some socio-economists think that micro credits have strong links to women’s
empowerment while some other thinks that participation in Microcredit leads to greater
subordination of women by reinforcing patriarchal norms of behavior while Microcredit has
affected women’s life in rural areas though. This has created the new window for women to earn
some money to develop their family but does it develop the personal life of women yet? Does it
increase women’s dignity? That is the controversy and became the matter of discussion. We will
overview this article and try to find out of what are the facts that fail microcredit to empower
women in true sense.
We measure current status of women with respect to literacy and schooling, health and nutrition,
labor force participation, contraceptive use, mobility and ownership of clothing and assets under
financial self-sustainability paradigm, the poverty alleviation paradigm and the feminist
empowerment paradigm with similar virtuous spirals of empowerment after receiving
microcredit. Some economist believe that microcredit will reduce poverty and increase well-
being (consumption, health status, nutrition, literacy, housing) for women and their children. In
the poverty alleviation paradigm financial and other services targeted at women are seen as
fulfilling women’s practical need for income and employment. As women are in marginalized
position and having great welfare responsibility towards family and thereafter, feminist paradigm
will be ensured. But how far a women are empowered by involving in microcredit. Economic
development is just one part of empowerment and it can be rather considered as a process of

4. empowerment. So, does it bring economic development for creating women’s self-dependency?
Whereas, one part of development process is enough for women development?
Moreover, economic development doesn’t bring any empowerment for women and still there are
some barriers and constrains to access in participation. Women’s incomes and access in resource
are small and therefore, having no control over their own decision as well as culture of
patriarchal society which doesn’t allow women to practice their right in terms of controlling over
their property, asset and money. On the other hand , Women have to be involved in house hold
chores and that makes them little access to other more formal networks and services is not well
established. Hence, having microcredit they cannot invest money properly and ultimately control
over money becomes the part of male member or husband. Women have fallen in debt trap
sometimes and they face intense pressure of timely loan payment. Since women’s main purpose
of taking care of the family, after receiving microcredit, it becomes double burden for them.
Besides, women have less access in public domain so; sometimes joint decision- making with
husbands or male relatives is common thing. Study shows that 40 per cent as primary decision
maker and 90 per cent joint decision-maker. Individual woman decision making is rare
sometimes. If there is no right for decision making for women and control over money that
cannot make women empowered even Microcredit gives them credit and ultimately, women still
remain in male domination.
From real perspective, we have seen pattern of the gender power relation, condition of women
empowerment and role of gender after participating in microcredit. In the matter of fact of
material recourses women can have right to have primary schooling or even in Secondary
schooling. Some women earn money through either self employed or wage employed. On the
other hand, in case of non-material resources bank and bazaar are male dominated public
domain. Visiting NGO offices and health center is more or less female dominated domain.
Husband approves family planning always. Moreover, we have also seen the different role
between the poor households and non-poor households. These are categorized through the power
relation of gender too. Non- poor households’ women can take decision on crop production
expenditure while poor households’ women have less engagement in crop production. Non-poor
participation is more likely to take decision on schooling of their children while poor
participation or even non-participates. Program participants are likely to be using modern

5. contraceptives compared to the non-participants house holders. Non-participates is more
involved in reproductive and household activities then participants. Most importantly, the greater
empowerment is found in greater access in resources not just participating in microcredit.
Therefore, there is still imbalance between different classes of women that brings inequalities
within women society.
Visiting NGO office and health care will increase awareness regarding family planning and
women mobility as well and these opportunities are created by microcredit while women
mobility is controlled by husband or male members of the family. Main earning source is based
on bazaar and public place where women’s mobility is controlled. So, how women can develop
their economic condition when they have little access in private places? Without free mobility
women cannot be empowered. Patriarchal society creates restriction on women movement by
showing excuses of social security and norm and culture. So many fotuas are imposed against of
women’s movement. It is commonly believed that Female may come across into a great harm by
male members of the society and it looks bad over movement of women. Movement in public
areas are prohibited and not taken as a good manner as they are women that are well established
in Patriarchal culture of the society. On the other hand, increasing awareness for family planning
goes vain until ensuring right for women of making decision for family planning and having
rights for own body. Still women cannot have right to take decision on family planning and even
they do not have control over their body. Furthermore, having no rights to take decision for her
own investment, no control over their earning money, no control over their resources. Moreover,
they are not commonly allowed in private places, restricted within four walls of their houses and
just limited within their household activities. As they have been isolated from earning activities
for a long time, they are not skilled and they do not know how to implement their credit. They
are confused as they have to depend on the decision of husband or male members of the family
and ultimately that makes them dependent of male members. It has been said in this article that
one of the most visible recent changes in the lives of rural women in Bangladesh is the
significant increase in their access to credit. But in reality, the credit which is given to women for
the investment is not properly implemented due to lack of skills and mostly equipments of
agriculture are man orientated and suitable for men not for women. Ultimately women fall upon
the shoulders of men. Therefore, microcredit creates dependency rather than independency.

6. However, to summarize the fact from the long description of this topic regarding empowering
women, Microcredit can be considered as a one the processes of women empowerment. Only so
called economic solvency doesn’t bring empowerment of women. Though microcredit has
created an opportunity for women to earn small amount of money to help their family but it
doesn’t mean that they are empowered in real sense. Microcredit has brought some changes
within the households of women that we have already discussed above but still remained in
subordinate position to men. First of all, Microcredit is believed to be the source of economic
development and increasing women labor force. But it is not all to empower women without
addressing gender power relation in the society as well as without understanding the real context
of women condition. Women are in marginalized position just not because of poverty but also
some other important facts are involved in it. Women in development also came across with the
same concept as economic development is only way to develop women. It was believed that if
women are self dependent economically then development will automatically come. But we
found real different scenario and ultimately women condition is not being improved as they do
not have control over their own income. So that is proven that without understanding the real
gender power relation within society and family life of women. If women are not addressed
respectfully and if they are not allowed for the free movement and having rights to take decision
by themselves no development can be occurred.
Moreover, Microcredit has created double burden for women in the sense of having double
burden. Taking care of the family as women’s main responsibility along with repay their debt
has become a huge pressure for them. Some of them have fallen in the debt trap and had to take
the way to suicide. Lack of skills, ideas, professional experiences and decision making rights
make much complicated situation for women. On the other hand, high interest of loan in
compared of credit abused women and gave very challenging life after all.
Women have always been restricted by patriarchal norm and culture of the society. Microcredit
looks for the benefit from the women without changing the society. Economic development
became vain when there is not right for women to take decision over their family, social or ever
for their personal life. Women are given loan when she doesn’t know how to implement them or
no right to take care of it or even decide what to do with it. Decision is given by husband or male
members of the family. As a result women become confused of using loan. Lack of right to take

7. decision and confusion of women ultimately control over money has fallen on men. Men
members keep controlling the money while women are just playing the role as a debt collector.
Therefore, condition of women is not changed at all and they are left in the same place where
they belong to be always.
Lack of experience they give collected loan to men members of the family for their better
investment and they make profit out of it. Women are not given share of it most of time. Even
men buy land or property by the name of his own not by the name of his wife who has collected
loan for that. She doesn’t even right to take care of it or do something with it. Microcredit
doesn’t monitor properly on how women’s profit are used and whether do they have gained right
to use the money for their own well being or they have power to control over their money and
decision making in respect. Microcredit is only after the profit making but not specifically
focused on women empowerment.
Besides, Microcredit creates such condition for women which lead them to the subordinate
position to men. In the name of women, men have full control over money. Sometimes, loss of
the business done by male members of the family creates burden for women and therefore to
manage debt they have to sale their ornaments as their last assents.
As we know that nowadays, neo-colonial domination is the another form of colonial domination
that people do not normally see or understand and it is very common in the modern world
especially for developing countries and microcredit is more like part of neo-colonialism. It is
always profit focused rather than empowering women. There is always an invisible hand behind
the name of economic development. It creates opportunities for profit seekers only. Poor people
are getting poorer and rich people are getting richer. It is all about the game of capitalists.
Women are always target of capitalists who are always hunting for cheap labor and women are
always cheap labor in developing countries like Bangladesh. Capitalists are earning huge amount
of profit in exchange of small credit and hard labor. Microcredit is one of the parts of capitalism.
It requires hardworking and as a result sometimes women have to sacrifice their personal life and
entertainment due to repay their debt and at the same time they have to maintain their family. So,
they keep working for 24/7 and her responsibility never ends. In spite of doing hard work they
cannot enjoy profit or they do not have any savings for the betterment of her future. She spends
her money for the welfare for her family and at the end of the day she suffers a lot.

8. In terms of considering the fact of is microcredit empowering women some important facts are
needed to consider as Firstly, Patriarchal norms and culture is the culture of women domination
and it has been practiced through long period of human race and this culture is well established.
Women have been serving life of slavery generation after generation. Therefore, women itself
are not aware of being dominated. They tolerate the domination and oppression imposed by men
very easily and they accept it by thinking that is natural because their foremothers followed and
it could be a social crime if they go against of this culture and ultimately they became puppet of
men. They cannot think and move by themselves and even so many woman agents establish
women’s slavery and they create problems and restriction for women. For example, in some
cases women are abused by their mother-in-laws. Mother gives more rights and freedom to their
sons than their daughter. People who are physically slave can be saved easily but whose slavery
is in blood and mind cannot be taken out of it easily. Furthermore, Going against of established
cultural norms is not that much easy. It will take time and long time revolution is needed most.
Microcredit neither challenges patriarchal structure of the society nor saves women from
oppression. However, Microcredit just focuses on the economic development but it does not
address the source of women’s deprivation, oppression and sufferings. Microcredit doesn’t
address the power relation between men and women in our society. It doesn’t indentify the main
source of oppression and domination and it is not challenging the patriarchal culture. Therefore,
only economical development cannot empower women so microcredit cannot.
Secondly, Microcredit doesn’t make women skilled to use credits for their own development.
They cannot take decision for their own and they become dependent on male members of the
family. As from the idea of Modernization dependency, under the name of modernization and
development there is oppression and deprivation occurred and that leads women’s dependency.
Moreover, microcredit is itself the source of oppression. It is profit seeking program and it
creates burden for women to repay the interest of credit. Most of the time they have to work all
around the day along with taking care of the family.
Finally, It is clearly said that microcredit is not empowering and has nothing done for women
towards it where it created burden for them. Condition of women never changed through
microcredit. It is just one process of empowering women. It doesn’t have the total structure to
monitor women’s condition after microcredit being received on the way to empowering women.

9. Empowerment cannot be ensured until the whole patriarchal system of the society changed into
favorable position for women and women’s total control over their economic, social and political
life with enjoying total life of dignity in their family, personal and as well as having social
independency from their decision making and controlling over their own rights to implement
their potentials in order to develop themselves.