The contrasts of microcredit and some unresolved institutional challenges of microfinance: evidence from México

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of microcredit on women’s life. Until now, microfinance literature has described the benefits microcredits and how it helps women to improve their micro-firms. In this study we found that there is a contrast side of microcredit that needs to be addressed. This is, there is a negative side that includes women to be forced by their family to take credit, issues surrounding financial education, complaints about the Grameen model, marital disharmony, problems with children, etc. Additionally, benefits are kept mainly in the microfinance institutions due to the high interest rates they charge. To avoid this, we suggest to involve microfinance institutions in the community, or to commit the father or legal guardian of the children to act as bank guarantee, inter alia. We tested these ideas on a micro-entrepreneur’s women sample of women, in Mexico.