IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijfss/v8y2020i2p37-d374780.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Intersection of Islamic Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment: A Case Study of Baitul Maal Wat Tamwil in Indonesia

Author

Listed:
  • Ninik Sri Rahayu

    (Department of Finance and Banking, Islamic University of Indonesia, Yogyakarta 55283, Indonesia)

Abstract

It is largely assumed that Islamic microfinance institutions (IMFIs) deal with family empowerment instead of women’s empowerment. However, women are the main beneficiaries of Baitul Maal Wat Tamwil (BMT), Indonesia’s first IMFIs. This paper aims to explore the origins, the initiators, and the visions of BMTs and the extent to which they intersect with women’s empowerment. Employing a qualitative approach, this study selected four BMTs in Yogyakarta as a case study. It found that four critical groups that have a significant role in the development of Indonesian BMTs: ICMI (Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectual), Islamic mass organizations, NGOs, and local governments. The issues of loan sharks and poverty alleviation were the primary factors driving the inception of BMTs. Despite women being crucial clients, none of the studied BMTs explicitly invoked women’s empowerment in their organizational vision. To conclude, the BMTs’ preference for women is not based on an understanding of gender inequality, but rather motivated by pragmatic business considerations, particularly the self-sustainability paradigm that underpins their practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Ninik Sri Rahayu, 2020. "The Intersection of Islamic Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment: A Case Study of Baitul Maal Wat Tamwil in Indonesia," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:8:y:2020:i:2:p:37-:d:374780
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/8/2/37/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/8/2/37/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elisabeth Rhyne & María Otero, 2007. "Microfinance Matures: Opportunities, Risks, and Obstacles for an Emerging Global Industry," Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, MIT Press, vol. 2(1-2), pages 91-114, April.
    2. Paul Mosley & Linda Mayoux, 1999. "Questioning virtuous spirals: micro-finance and women's empowerment in Africa," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(7), pages 957-984.
    3. Marguerite S. Robinson, 2001. "The Microfinance Revolution," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28956, December.
    4. D'Espallier, Bert & Guérin, Isabelle & Mersland, Roy, 2011. "Women and Repayment in Microfinance: A Global Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 758-772, May.
    5. Joanna Ledgerwood, 1998. "Microfinance Handbook: An Institutional and Financial Perspective," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 12383, December.
    6. Kevane, Michael & Wydick, Bruce, 2001. "Microenterprise Lending to Female Entrepreneurs: Sacrificing Economic Growth for Poverty Alleviation?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(7), pages 1225-1236, July.
    7. Naila Kabeer, 1999. "Resources, Agency, Achievements: Reflections on the Measurement of Women's Empowerment," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 30(3), pages 435-464, July.
    8. Ahmed, Habib, 2002. "Financing Microenterprises: An Analytical Study Of Islamic Microfinance Institutions," Islamic Economic Studies, The Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), vol. 9, pages 28-64.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hamzah & St. Umrah & Agus Yudiawan, 2020. "Economic Empowerment of Indigenous Papuan Women “Mama Papua” in West Papua: Islamic Financial Perspective," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(4), pages 578-589.
    2. Andri Soemitra & Kusmilawaty & Tri Inda Fadhila Rahma, 2022. "The Role of Micro Waqf Bank in Women’s Micro-Business Empowerment through Islamic Social Finance: Mixed-Method Evidence from Mawaridussalam Indonesia," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gregor Dorfleitner & Eva‐Maria Oswald, 2016. "Repayment behavior in peer‐to‐peer microfinancing: Empirical evidence from Kiva," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 45-59, September.
    2. Yimga, Jules, 2018. "Microfinance expansion and its effects on cost efficiency," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 205-216.
    3. Francis Awuku Darko, 2016. "Is there a mission drift in microfinance? Some new empirical evidence from Uganda," Studies in Economics 1603, School of Economics, University of Kent.
    4. Dorfleitner, Gregor & Oswald, Eva-Maria, 2016. "Repayment behavior in peer-to-peer microfinancing: Empirical evidence from Kiva," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 45-59.
    5. Mohamed, Toka S. & Elgammal, Mohammed M., 2023. "Credit risk in Islamic microfinance institutions: The role of women, groups, and rural borrowers," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    6. Gutiérrez-Nieto, Begoña & Serrano-Cinca, Carlos, 2019. "20 years of research in microfinance: An information management approach," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 183-197.
    7. Wijesiri, Mahinda & Yaron, Jacob & Meoli, Michele, 2017. "Assessing the financial and outreach efficiency of microfinance institutions: Do age and size matter?," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 63-76.
    8. S. SARAVANAN & Devi Prasad DASH, 2017. "Growth and distribution of microfinance in India: A panel data analysis," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(1(610), S), pages 127-146, Spring.
    9. Salvador Cruz Rambaud & Joaquín López Pascual & Emilio M. Santandreu, 2023. "A socioeconomic approach to the profile of microcredit holders from the Hispanic minority in the USA," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-25, December.
    10. Sugato Chakravarty & S. M. Zahid Iqbal & Abu Zafar M. Shahriar, 2013. "Are Women “Naturally” Better Credit Risks in Microcredit? Evidence from Field Experiments in Patriarchal and Matrilineal Societies in Bangladesh," Working Papers 1019, Purdue University, Department of Consumer Sciences.
    11. Alain De CROMBRUGGHE & Michel TENIKUE & Julie SUREDA, 2008. "Performance Analysis For A Sample Of Microfinance Institutions In India," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 79(2), pages 269-299, June.
    12. B, Ranjula & Wallentin, Fan Yang, 2008. "Economic or Non-Economic Factors – What Empowers Women?," Working Paper Series 2008:11, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    13. Mira Nurmakhanova & Gavin Kretzschmar & Hassouna Fedhila, 2015. "Trade-off between financial sustainability and outreach of microfinance institutions," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(2), pages 231-250, December.
    14. Katarzyna Cieslik & Marek Hudon & Philip Verwimp, 2015. "Unruly Entrepreneurs - Value Creation and Value Capture by Microfinance Clients in Rural Burundi," Working Papers CEB 15-013, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    15. Mahinda Wijesiri & Almudena Martínez-Campillo & Peter Wanke, 2019. "Is there a trade-off between social and financial performance of public commercial banks in India? A multi-activity DEA model with shared inputs and undesirable outputs," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 417-442, April.
    16. M. Shahe Emran & A. K. M. Mahbub Morshed & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2021. "Microfinance and missing markets," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 34-67, February.
    17. Ernest Gyapong & Daniel Gyimah & Ammad Ahmed, 2021. "Religiosity, borrower gender and loan losses in microfinance institutions: a global evidence," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 657-692, August.
    18. van Rooyen, C. & Stewart, R. & de Wet, T., 2012. "The Impact of Microfinance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(11), pages 2249-2262.
    19. Yimer, Feiruz & Tadesse, Fanaye, 2015. "Women’s empowerment in agriculture and dietary diversity in Ethiopia:," ESSP working papers 80, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. Prasansha Kumari, 2022. "Elements of microfinance on spatial poverty alleviation in Sri Lanka: Structural equation modeling," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(2), pages 137-165, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:8:y:2020:i:2:p:37-:d:374780. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.