Microfinance Horizon

Performance of Microfinance Institutions: A Macroeconomic and Institutional Perspective

Editor — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 04:00:51 +0000

Author(s): Katsushi S. Imai (Economics, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, UK & Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration, Kobe University, Japan) Raghav Gaiha (Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, India) Ganesh Thapa (International Fund for Agricultural Development, Italy) Samuel Kobina Annim (Economics, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, UK) & [...]

World Bank Group Congratulates People of South Sudan on Independence

Editor — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:57 +0000

Press Release No:2011/015/AFR JUBA/WASHINGTON, July 9, 2011—The World Bank Group congratulates the authorities and citizens of South Sudan on the birth of their new nation in application of the overwhelming vote for national sovereignty during the peaceful Referendum in January 2011. “This is a wonderful, historic moment for the people of South Sudan, and the [...]

Microcredit as a Tool of Ethical Financing for Sustainable Development

Editor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 04:00:07 +0000

Foreword: This publication presents edited versions of the interventions made by the writers at a seminar organized by the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks (FEBEA) on the occasion of its Annual General Meeting held in Malta in April 2010. The theme of the seminar was Microcredit as a Tool of Ethical Financing for [...]

Family and Group Ties in Microfinance Activities: Framed Field Experiments in Mexico

Editor — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:00:19 +0000

Presented by: Natalia Realpe Carrillo Abstract: This study investigates the influence of family ties on dynamics of microfinance lending groups. In collaboration with Servicios Financieros Alternativos S.A de C.V., S.F.P, a Mexican Microfinance Institution operating in the state of Oaxaca, we conducted a set of experimental one-shot games, involving randomly selected clients. A first experiment, [...]

Supporting Civic Activism Among Chronically Poor Women: To What Extent Can Multidimensional Women’s Microfinance Groups Help?

Editor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:08:21 +0000

Author(s): Rachel Amosu , Jin Woo Kim, Coleen McMillon, & Robertha Reid (George Washington University) Executive summary: This study was undertaken with the support of the Chronic Poverty Research Centre, the Overseas Development Institute, and the George Washington University. Through in-country and desk research, the research team assessed the extent to which multidimensional women‟s microfinance [...]

The Challenge of Supervision in Microinsurance

Editor — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:00:31 +0000

Author: Dennis C. Hänsel Introduction: Microinsurance is accessed by a low-income population and provided by a range of different entities. Yet, it follows generally accepted insurance practices, such as risk pooling and contribution-based benefits. The demand for these products has been found to be highest for health and life products. However, microinsurance can also cover [...]

Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Microfinance: A Photovoice Study

Editor — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:00:21 +0000

Author: Camille A. Sutton-Brown Abstract: The assumptions underlying the relationships between microfinance and women‟s empowerment are typically rooted in a financial paradigm, wherein the prevailing belief is that increases in economic resources necessarily lead to increases in women‟s empowerment. This results in a conceptual erasure of the multi-dimensionality of empowerment and disregards the influences that [...]

Facilitating Community Development with Housing Microfinance: Appraising Housing Solutions for Pakistan after Disasters

Editor — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 04:00:13 +0000

Author: F.Tariq, College of Design, North Carolina State University, U.S.A Abstract: After the deadly floods and earthquakes, more than two third Pakistanis were in urgent need of assistance. Malnutrition and homelessness are continuing threats to the victims of these disasters. The scope of destruction is so wide that instead of huge international donations and governmental [...]

Withdrawal Risk Analysis in Microfinance: Comparing Migrants’ Deposits with Local Deposits

Editor — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:00:58 +0000

Author: Ritha Sukadi Mata, Université libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim and CERMi. Abstract: This paper is devoted to withdrawal risk analysis in microfinance. Using a re-sampling method, we estimate the withdrawal rate distributions for migrant and non migrant term deposits, in an original database of 7828 deposit [...]

Financial Sustainability of Microfinance – A Zero Default Case Study of the Chanthaburi Province Savings Group

Editor — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:00:08 +0000

Author: Warut Woradithee, Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Summary: Apart from poverty alleviation which is the prominent mission of microfinance institutions (MFIs), MFIs also need to maintain their financial sustainability to assure that they will have working capital in the next period. “Repayment rate” is a common indicator used to measure financial [...]