Yount KM, Cheong YF, Khan Z, Miedema SS, Naved RT. Women's participation in microfinance: Effects on Women's agency, exposure to partner violence, and mental health.
Soc Sci Med 2021;
270:113686. [PMID:
33453629 DOI:
10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113686]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The health and social effects of women's microfinance participation remain debated.
METHODS
Using propensity-score methods, we assessed effects of microfinance participation on novel measures of agency; intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure; and depressive symptoms in 930 wives in Matlab, Bangladesh interviewed 11/2018-01/2019.
RESULTS
Participants, versus non-participants, were married younger (16.7 vs. 17.4 years), more often Muslim (90.7% vs. 86.2%), less schooled (5.4 vs. 6.8 grades), and more often had husbands (27.0% vs. 19.6%) and mothers (63.2% vs. 50.5%) without schooling. Participants and non-participants had similar unadjusted mean scores for prior-week depressive symptoms, prior-year IPV, and intrinsic attitudinal agency (gender-equitable attitudes; non-justification of wife beating). Participants had higher unadjusted mean scores for intrinsic voice/mobility; instrumental agency (using financial services, voice with husband, voice/mobility outside home); and collective agency. Average adjusted treatment effects were non-significant for depressive symptoms, IPV, and attitudinal intrinsic agency, and significantly favorable for other agency outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
Microfinance participation had no adverse health effects and favorable empowerment effects in Bangladeshi wives.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Microfinance can empower women without adverse health effects. Social-norms programming with men and women may be needed to change gendered expectations about the distribution of unpaid labor and the rights of women.
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