Microfinance participation and intimate partner violence among women in Bangladesh

Prabal K De and Alvin Christian

Oxford Economic Papers, 2020, vol. 72, issue 2, 435-452

Abstract: We examine the links between microfinance, often a vehicle for credit and entrepreneurship for the poor, and intimate partner violence (IPV) using the 2006 Bangladesh Urban Health Survey. Unlike existing studies, we distinguish between various types of microfinance programmes, isolating programmes that exclusively make loans versus programmes with a more diverse portfolio. In order to address potential self-selection bias we use matching estimators in a multiple-treatment format, controlling for some of the observed differences between participants and non-participants. We find that the association of microfinance participation with IPV is heterogeneous. Members of organizations such as BRAC, Proshika, or ASA report significantly higher rates of IPV, while such results do not hold across all organizations. Specifically, we find that organizations focused exclusively on making loans are not associated with either increased or reduced violence in a significant way.

JEL-codes: G21 J12 O10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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