Microcredit and women's empowerment in Bangladesh: a structural equation model for categorical observed variables

Cristina Elisa Orso and Enrico Fabrizi ()
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Enrico Fabrizi: DISCE, Università Cattolica

No dises1396, DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE)

Abstract: This paper employs the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2004) to explore the relationship between participation in microcredit programs and women's empowerment using a structural equation model with categorical observed variables. A MCMC-based Bayesian approach is adopted for estimation. Along with participation in microcredit, we consider a variety of socio-cultural aspects as potential predictors of empowerment in the Bangladeshi context including men's perceptions about women's status. We conclude that gender community norms are strongly rooted in women's minds regardless of the partners' perceptions of women's status, and microcredit interventions may actually contribute to change gender beliefs and social attitudes.

Keywords: Microcredit programs; Women's empowerment; Gender relations; Asia; Bangladesh; Bayesian approach. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J10 O15 O19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 30
Date: 2013-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-dev and nep-mfd
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