The Role of Microfinance in Women's Empowerment : A Comparative Study of Rural and Urban Groups in India.

Front Cover -- The Role of Microfinance in Women's Empowerment -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- List of Boxes -- List of Maps -- List of Abbreviations -- Preface -- Foreword -- Microfinance and Female Empowerment -- Acknowledgements -- Chapter 1 Introduction -- 1. Introduction -- Disparities in Employment Opportunities and Compensation between Men and Women -- Challenges associated with a Globally Integrated Economy: Its Adverse Impact on Women's Economic Empowerment -- Limited Access of Women to Land, Housing and Other Productive Resources -- Collective Bargaining Power -- Access to Basic Infrastructure: Water, Transport, Electricity, etc. -- 2. Rationale for the Study -- 3. Research Questions/Objectives/Hypotheses -- Objectives of the Study -- Research Hypotheses -- 4. Scope and Limitation of the Study -- 5. Structure of the Book -- Chapter 2 Literature Review -- 1. Review of Literature -- 2. Empowerment: Definitions and Perspectives -- 3. Microfinance: As an Enabler of Development Initiatives -- 4. Impact of Microfinance on Women and Empowerment -- 5. Challenges and Critiques of Microfinance -- Chapter 3 Conceptualising Empowerment: A Theoretical Model -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Life Stages: Needs and Sources of Funds -- 3. Paradigms of Empowerment -- 4. Agency, Resources and Achievements - Connection with Empowerment -- 5. Positive and Negative Freedom: Gender and Distribution of Resources -- 6. Research Gap -- Chapter 4 Nationalisation to Demonetisation: An Overview of the Indian Banking Sector -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Access to Finance: Concepts of Financial Inclusion and Exclusion -- Causes of Financial Exclusion -- Factors Affecting Access to Financial Services -- Consequences of Financial Exclusion -- Individual Level -- Community /Societal Level -- Impact on Banks -- 3. The Indian Banking Scenario.

Stage 1: From Independence up to the Nationalisation of Banks -- Stage 2: Post-Nationalisation (A Thrust towards Social Banking) (1969-1990) -- Stage 3: Post-Reforms Period (Opening Up of the Indian Banking Sector) (Early 1990s to end 1990s) -- Stage 4: Fixing the Gaps after Banking Reforms (Mid-2000 to 2014) -- 4. Post-2014 (Modi Era and Demonetisation) -- Chapter 5 Microfinance in India - The Self-Help Group Federation and Joint Liability Models -- 1. Microfinance - The Paradigm -- Status of Microfinance in India -- 2. SHG-Bank Linkage Programmes -- About SHGs: Composition and Structure -- Different Types of SHG Models -- 3. MFI-Bank Linkage Programmes -- 4. Joint Liability Groups -- Criteria for Membership into JLGs -- Region-wise Trends of JLGs in India -- Chapter 6 Data and Methods -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Data Sources -- Selection of the Study Area -- Maharashtra State -- Maharashtra: A Paradox of Prosperity and Poverty -- Gender Bias: Adverse Sex Ratio -- Rampant Malnutrition -- Unexplored Potential: Opportunity for MFIs -- Maharashtra: Less documented - Needs Attention -- Selection of Pune District -- Selection of Microfinance Promoting Institutions and Locations -- 3. Selection of the Village and Slums -- Selection of Vetale Village -- Selection of Slums (Pune) -- Sampling Frame -- Sampling Units -- Sampling Tools -- Sample Selection and Size -- Research Design and Method -- Usage of Ethnography -- Data Collection Timeframe -- Research Constructs -- Empowerment -- Microfinance -- Community-based Microfinance Institutions (CMFIs) -- Rural and Urban Areas -- Chapter 7 An Overview of the MFI Organisations: Annapurna Pariwar (AP) and GMSS -- 1. Annapurna Pariwar (AP) -- Annapurna Mahila Mandal (AMM), Mumbai -- Annapurna Mahila Mandal, Pune -- Annapurna Parivar Vikas Samavardhan (APVS).

Vatsalyapurna Swayamrojgar Seva Cooperative Society (VSSCS) -- Annapurna Mahila Cooperative Credit Society Ltd (AMCCSL) -- 2. Process of JLG Formation and Management at AMCCSL -- 3. Gramin Mahila Swayamsiddha Sangh (GMSS) -- Origins of the SHG Federation Model at GMSS -- The Rationale for Forming SHG Federations -- Structure -- Governing Body -- Nomination to the Board -- Products and Other Value Added Inputs Offered by GMSS -- Savings Collection -- Deepti Arogya Nidhi: Health Mutual for Members -- Loan Products -- 4. Comparisons between Two Models (GMSS-SHG Model and AMACS-JLG) -- Chapter 8 Observations and Discussion - Rural Area -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Rural Context (SHG Federation Model) -- 3. About Gramin Mahila Swayamsiddha Sangh -- 4. Details on Selected SHGs and Their Sample Members -- 5. Changes at the Individual Member Level -- 6. Changes in Savings ('Power To') -- Changes in beneficiaries' extent and ability to contribute to the household kitty ('Power To') -- Changes in the beneficiaries' ability to access and service credit ('Power To') -- 7. Sources of Credit Repayment -- 8. Changes in the Extent of Appreciation Received by the Beneficiaries from Family Members/Friends after Access to Microfinance ('Power within') -- 9. Changes in the Mobility ('Power Within') -- 10. Changes in the Ability to Express Opinion and Views ('Power Within') -- 11. Changes in the Ability to Face Medical Emergencies ('Power Over') -- 12. Changes in the Ability to Undertake Banking Transactions Independently (Power To) -- 13. Changes in the Personal Grooming Pattern ('Power Within') -- 14. Changes in the Awareness of Development Programmes ('Power Within') -- 15. Changes at the Village/Community Level as Perceived by the Stakeholders -- 16. Existence of the Other Informal Savings Options -- 17 Other Assets Owned by the Members.

18. Participation by Members in Leadership Positions -- Chapter 9 Observations and Discussion - Urban Area -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Urban Context (JLG Model) -- About Annapurna Pariwar's Microfinance Arm -- 3. Details about the JLGs and Their Members -- 4. Changes at the Individual Level -- Power Within -- Changes in the Awareness of Development Programmes (Power Within) -- Changes in the Ability to Speak Up or Express Oneself (Power Within) -- Changes in Personal Grooming Pattern (Power Within) -- Changes in the Mobility after Access to Microfinance (Power Within) -- Changes in the Level of Appreciation Received from Family and Friends (Power Within) -- Power To -- Changes in the Extent of Savings (Power To) -- Changes in the Contribution to the Household Kitty and Borrowing (Power To) -- Changes in the Ability to Repay Household Loans with Own Earnings (Power To) -- Changes in Participating in the Usage of Household Funds and Undertaking Banking Transactions Independently (Power To) -- Power With -- Changes in Casting Ballot (Power With) -- Power Over -- Changes in the Ability to Face Medical Emergencies (Power Over) -- Chapter 10 Vetale Village: Then and Now (2013-2016) -- 1. Getting Back -- 2. Infrastructure-Level Changes -- 3. SHG Federation and Village Cluster-Level Changes -- Demonetization and Its Effect on the Operations of SHGs -- Introduction of Technology -- 4. SHGs and Member-Level Changes -- Entrepreneurship or Not? -- Chapter 11 Concluding Remarks -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Section 1 -- Inordinate Delay in the Passage of the Microfinance Institutions (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2012 -- Misuse of the Banking System: Fulfil Political Agendas -- The Demonetisation Exercise -- Bhartiya Mahila Bank (BMB): A Damp Squib at Taxpayers Cost -- MUDRA Bank: Old Wine in New Bottle? -- The Indian Microfinance Crisis (2010).

3. Section 2: Points that Emerged from the Study Results (Rural and Urban) -- Research Objective #1: To Study the Status of Empowerment of Women Beneficiaries after Access to Microfinance -- Research Objective 2: To Understand the Challenges of the SHG/JLG Models as Faced by the Beneficiaries -- Research Objective 3: To Recommend Suggestions for Improving the Efficacy of Both the Models -- 4. Section 3 -- Forming Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) to Avail of Market Linkages -- Developing Livelihood Clusters (for Other Women - Not Engaged/Interested in Farming Activities) -- Greater Use of E-wallets in the Foreseeable Future: Can Help to Lower the Physical Movement of Cash and Lower Risk -- Self-Help Group Promoting Institutions: Sustaining Institutions with a Demonstrated Track-Record -- Payment Banks -- Appendix 1 A 'Bad Loans' Bank for India -- Appendix 2 Less Cash or Cashless: What about the Common Man? -- References -- Websites Visited -- Index.

Delving into the effects of microfinance in both rural and urban communities, this book will be of interest to researchers of women studies, microfinance, and development economics.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.