Citation

Osmani LNK. J. Int. Dev. 2007; 19(5): 695-716.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jid.1356

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper attempts to test empirically whether access to micro-credit can help poor rural women to improve their bargaining power within the household. The empirical measures of women's bargaining power, or empowerment, used in this paper are underpinned by a bargaining model of the household. By using survey data on the borrowers of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and by adopting a methodology that allows for the possibility of self-selection, this study shows that targeted micro-credit can have a significantly positive effect on women's bargaining power within the household. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.