The microfinance poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment, and business model: A religious perspective

Hagawe, Huda 2023. The microfinance poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment, and business model: A religious perspective. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This research delves into the complex interplay between microfinance institutions (MFIs), religiosity, poverty alleviation, and women entrepreneur empowerment, employing a consistent methodology across the study. Utilising empirical methods, the research employs data from two sources: the MIX Market data on MFIs and the World Values Survey (WVS), offering insights into various religious backgrounds in the developing world. This comprehensive dataset, spanning 2010-2018, enables an in-depth examination of these dynamics. The findings underscore the profound role of religious denomination in poverty alleviation through microfinance. Excluding religious denomination underestimates the impact of religiosity and other religious factors on the likelihood of MFIs contributing to poverty alleviation. An increase in trust in the Muslim religion positively affects the probability of MFIs mitigating poverty, while being a member of the Protestant religion augments this relationship positively. Hinduism presents contradictory results. Overall, religious trust and being a member of a religion positively impact the likelihood of MFIs successfully reducing poverty, enhancing their outreach and effectiveness. Further empirical analysis of the same dataset reveals the nuanced role of religiosity in women's empowerment within MFIs. The social goal of "Gender equality and women's empowerment" positively influences empowerment, while religiosity alone does not consistently do so. Instead, the interaction between religiosity and gender-focused social goals may moderate this positive effect. Therefore, the findings without the interaction underscore the complexity of women's empowerment in microfinance and offer valuable insights for targeted interventions. In addition to empirical papers, this research encompasses a semi-structured case study examining various MFIs' business models based on their religious backgrounds, employing the same semi-structured interview method for consistency. The case study provides pertinent governance recommendations for MFIs to enhance their social roles effectively. In summary, this research contributes valuable empirical insights into the roles of social goals, religiosity, female participation, and product categories in poverty alleviation and women's empowerment within MFIs. By analysing country-level data and focusing on religious denominations including Muslim, Protestant, and Hindu communities, these findings significantly enrich the current literature and offer valuable directions for future research, policy development, and strategic interventions in the microfinance sector.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Microfinance institutions MFI, poverty alleviation, women empowerment, Financial sustainability, Gender equality, Religiosity, Religious denomination, Gender Dynamics, Social Goals, and Leadership Participation.
Last Modified:	08 Feb 2024 10:10
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/166168

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