Exploring the role of microfinance in women’s empowerment and entrepreneurial development: a qualitative study

Abstract In developing countries, women’s empowerment is a major concern. Several efforts were made to tackle this issue as the aims of poverty reduction and development cannot be achieved without giving attention to women’s empowerment. Over the past decades, microfinance institutions (MFIs) have appeared as crucial tools not only to address the issue of poverty but also particularly to empower women. Resultantly, a huge number of studies focus on the relationships between MFI and women empowerment. However, in the context of rural areas of Pakistan, the research is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the role of MFI in women’s empowerment in Pakistan so that the research will facilitate MFIs and policymakers in strengthening the link between MFIs and women entrepreneurship. We have used a qualitative methodology, using primary data collected through in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion with six female borrowers of Rural Community Development Programs (RCDP). The empirical results provide valuable insights into the efforts made by RCDP to empower women and combat poverty by encouraging women’s entrepreneurship. Hence, this paper not only examines empowerment, which women are attaining from microfinance but also assists MFIs to know about their significance in developing the economy. The paper is significant for MFI practitioners to develop policies for boosting women’s entrepreneurship and to help their existing women clients with efficient training and supervision.