Evaluations of Women-Centered U.S. Microenterprise Development Programs

This article reviews research on women-centered U.S. microenterprise development programs (MDPs) by applying the concepts of conversion factors and capability of Amartya Sen’s capability approach. The article indicates how women-centered U.S. MDPs are appropriate in terms of reflecting women’s unique conversion factors in their programs, such as financial, human, social capital, and other structural gender discriminations, and how effective they are in assisting women to improve their capabilities. It concludes that women-centered U.S. MDPs do not sufficiently address women’s social environmental conversion factors in their programs, such as gender role and power relations.