Women's decision making power over credit : a case study in Pyin-Oo-Lwin, Myanmar | |
| Author | Zin Mar Oo |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-01-05 |
| Subject(s) | Women in finance--Myanmar Microfinance--Myanmar |
| Note | A thesis submitted in pa1tial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-01-05 |
| Abstract | The microcredit project of YWCA/POL is a group based lending approach with the aim of improving the livelihood and economic status of women, particularly the poor rural women in the three villages of Pyin Oo Lwin. This project is the only credit source for the study villages. Although credit is intended to contribute to women's empowerment, few evaluations have investigated how much decision making power women actually have on credit. This exploratory study assessed the extent and nature of women's decision making over credit by analyzing the process of women's decision making in taking credit, using credit, keeping the income and using the income. A detailed situation analysis of the study villages, women and microcredit in the YWCA/POL project and women's decision making over credit were based on the primary and secondary data gathered for this study. From the study, it was found that by providing small loans, women were able to invest the credit in diverse investment activities, strengthening their contribution to the household economy. It was found that women had gone through different stages regarding decision making over credit. Women's living arrangement in the household, who they live with, ethnicity, education and patiicipation in the investment activities were found to be the factors that influence women's decision making. The YWCA/POL project was still very new and therefore it was not feasible to measure its impact on the empowerment of the credit borrowers. But some changes occurred in the rural women credit borrowers and their households were observed. The microcredit project with integrated approach strengthened women's self-confidence, leading to a better mobility and instilled a better awareness of preventive measures on health issues. The study concluded with a recommendation for further research to analyze women's managerial control over loan use, how different ethnic group has managerial control over what kind of investment activity. |
| Year | 2001 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-01-05 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kusakabe, Kyoko; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Resurreccion, Bernadette P.;Dale, Reidar; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Germany; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001 |