The Effect of Microcredit on Women Empowerment in Welfare and Decisions Making in Malaysia

Sayed Samer Ali Al-shami (), R. M. Razali and Nurulizwa Rashid
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Sayed Samer Ali Al-shami: Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Centre for Research and Innovation Management
R. M. Razali: Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Centre for Research and Innovation Management
Nurulizwa Rashid: Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Centre for Research and Innovation Management

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2018, vol. 137, issue 3, No 12, 1073-1090

Abstract: Abstract Microcredit is perceived as an effective tool to empower women, especially those who are deprived of accessing financial services. However, the literature has arrived with contradictory evidence and demonstrates that the effect of microcredit may partially or not empower women. This study intends to examine whether the access to Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) affects several aspects of empowerment in urban Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 474 old and new clients to examine the effect of microcredit on women empowerment in decision-making process and resource controlling. Based on the propensity score matching, our result shows that the access to AIM microcredit affects positively women’s monthly income. In addition, microcredit empowers women borrowers in a set of household decisions making including mobility, daily expenditure, children school, health expenditure and loan order decision.

Keywords: Microcredit; Women; Empowerment; Welfare; Decisions; Malaysia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1632-2

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