Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/243356 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2021/30
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
Although microfinance started as a movement to improve women's economic wellbeing through increased female entrepreneurship in particular, its impact on women's attitudes toward and participation in the labour market is not fully understood. We fill this gap by combining data on branch locations of the major microfinance institutions in Bangladesh with household survey data and implement a spatial regression discontinuity design. Our estimates suggest significant effects of access to credit on women's work; attitudes towards gender, social and employment norms; and psychosocial well-being. Access to credit increases labour force participation in terms of paid employment and traditional economic participation. Relatedly, respondents are more likely to be prevented from working by their husbands or other household members. They are also more likely to express traditional beliefs in relation to gender, social, and employment norms. Finally, access to credit leads to a loss in life satisfaction, financial satisfaction, health satisfaction, and overall happiness.
Subjects: 
microfinance
female entrepreneurship
psychosocial well-being
gender norms
regression discontinuity design
Bangladesh
JEL: 
G21
I31
J22
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-92-9256-968-6
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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