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The Effect of Microcredit on Women Empowerment in Welfare and Decisions Making in Malaysia

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  • Sayed Samer Ali Al-shami

    (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Centre for Research and Innovation Management)

  • R. M. Razali

    (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Centre for Research and Innovation Management)

  • Nurulizwa Rashid

    (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Centre for Research and Innovation Management)

Abstract

Microcredit is perceived as an effective tool to empower women, especially those who are deprived of accessing financial services. However, the literature has arrived with contradictory evidence and demonstrates that the effect of microcredit may partially or not empower women. This study intends to examine whether the access to Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) affects several aspects of empowerment in urban Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 474 old and new clients to examine the effect of microcredit on women empowerment in decision-making process and resource controlling. Based on the propensity score matching, our result shows that the access to AIM microcredit affects positively women’s monthly income. In addition, microcredit empowers women borrowers in a set of household decisions making including mobility, daily expenditure, children school, health expenditure and loan order decision.

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  • Sayed Samer Ali Al-shami & R. M. Razali & Nurulizwa Rashid, 2018. "The Effect of Microcredit on Women Empowerment in Welfare and Decisions Making in Malaysia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 137(3), pages 1073-1090, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:137:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-017-1632-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1632-2
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    2. Zelu, Barbara Ama & Iranzo, Susana & Pérez Laborda, Alejandro, 2022. "Financial Inclusion and Women Economic Empowerment in Ghana," Working Papers 2072/535075, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    3. Nyanzu, Frederick, 2022. "The joint effects of financial literacy and women’s empowerment training, and financial inclusion on food security: Evidence from Ghana," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322160, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Ma, Wanglin & Qiu, Huanguang & Fan, Yubing & Zhou, Xiaoshi, 2020. "The joint effects of ICT adoption and access to credit on household income in China," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304431, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Olexandr Yemelyanov & Tetyana Petrushka & Anastasiya Symak & Olena Trevoho & Anatolii Turylo & Oksana Kurylo & Lesia Danchak & Dmytro Symak & Lilia Lesyk, 2020. "Microcredits for Sustainable Development of Small Ukrainian Enterprises: Efficiency, Accessibility, and Government Contribution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-32, July.
    6. Djihad Tria & Mukaramah Harun & Mahmudul Alam, 2022. "Microcredit as a strategy for employment creation: A systematic review of literature," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 2060552-206, December.
    7. Danquah, Michael & Iddrisu, Abdul Malik & Boakye, Ernest Owusu & Owusu, Solomon, 2021. "Do gender wage differences within households influence women's empowerment and welfare? Evidence from Ghana," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 916-932.
    8. Jinnat Ara & Dipanwita Sarkar, 2021. "Customized Credit Transfer and Women Empowerment: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials in Bangladesh," QuBE Working Papers 062, QUT Business School.
    9. Sajeda Pervin & Mohammad Nazari Ismail & Abu Hanifa Md Noman, 2023. "Does Microfinance Singlehandedly Empower Women? A Case Study of Bangladesh," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    10. Vu Ha Thu & Daisaku Goto, 2020. "Does Microfinance Improve the Household Welfare of Ethnic Minorities? Evidence from Bac Kan Province, Vietnam," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 20(1), pages 65-83, January.
    11. Al Mamun, Abdullah & Thurasamy, Ramayah & Fazal, Syed Ali, 2021. "Entrepreneurial index for low-income households in Malaysia," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    12. Samer Ali Al-shami & Abdullah Al Mamun & Nurulizwa Rashid & Mohammed Al-shami, 2021. "Microcredit Impact on Socio-Economic Development and Women Empowerment in Low-Income Countries: Evidence from Yemen," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-18, August.
    13. Wanglin Ma & Huanguang Qiu & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2023. "Rural development in the digital age: Does information and communication technology adoption contribute to credit access and income growth in rural China?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1421-1444, August.
    14. Mohamed Arouri & Nguyen Viet Cuong, 2020. "Does microcredit reduce the gender gap in employment? Evidence from Egypt," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 111-124, June.

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