title: Microfinance and poverty reduction: evidence from a village study in Bangladesh.
abstract: To evaluate the competing claims on the impact of microfinance programs on multidimensional poverty, a village study in Bangladesh was conducted where three microfinance programs had been operating for more than five years. The study found that microfinance has resulted in a moderate reduction in the poverty of borrowers, as measured by a variety of socio-economic indicators, but has not reached many of the poorest in the village. To make microfinance a more effective means of poverty reduction other services such as skills training, technological support, education and health related strategies should be included with microfinance.
authors.affiliation: Flinders University of South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Shah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nawaz
mesh_terms: D001459:Bangladesh / Q000208:ethnology; D004493:Education / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005378:Financial Support; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D011203:Poverty / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012423:Rural Health / Q000266:history; D012424:Rural Population / Q000266:history; D012922:Social Change / Q000266:history; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors / Q000266:history; D014146:Training Support / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence