Women's Leadership in Microfinance: Prof. Vibhuti Patel

Download
Share  Add to  Flag Embed
Views:
 
Category: Education
     
 
License:   All Rights Reserved

Presentation Description

Nineties was a difficult decade for both the urban and rural poor women as women were rapidly losing their livelihood base due to structural adjustment programmes and macro economic stabilization policies. Reduction in budgetary allocation for social sector (privatization of education and health as well as dismantling of public distribution system) and privatization of essential survival needs made lives of poor women unbearable. Draught in several parts of India and liberalization of agrarian market added fuel to fire with increasing numbers of farmers' suicides and starvation deaths. It was in this backdrop, that women's leadership in microfinance thro' Self Help Groups (SHGs) came to the fore to provide safety net to the poorest of the poor women initially in the four Southern States- Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamilnadu and during the 21st century all over the country.

Comments

Presentation Transcript

Women’s Leadership in Micro Finance: Issues and Challenges : 

1 Women’s Leadership in Micro Finance: Issues and Challenges by Dr. Vibhuti Patel, DIRECTOR, P.G.S. R. Prof. & HOD, P.G. Department of Economics, SNDT Women’s University, Smt. Nathibai Thakersey Road, Churchgate, Mumbai-400020 Phone-26770227®, 22052970(O) Mobile-9321040048 Email: vibhuti.np@gmail.com

Macro Economic Reality: 

2 Macro Economic Reality Structural Adjustment Programme-budgetary cuts for social sector Droughts in several parts of India Agrarian Crisis Need for Safety Net for women MDGs MF to enhance strength, self reliance and confidence among poor women Successful examples-Bangladesh, India

Community issues, Mobilization and Institutions : 

3 Community issues, Mobilization and Institutions Food Security Employment Rise in income Increased enrolment & Retention Better health Reduced domestic violence Property rights for women Breaking isolation of women

Case Study 1: Sakti: 

4 Case Study 1: Sakti Formation of (WSHGs) among the poorest of the poor women in Bangalore district. During 1998-2000, Sakti formed 317 WSHGs in 128 villages among the poor, disadvantaged (widows, single and deserted) and marginalized women. HIVOS provided financial support to initiate various activities through these groups.

Case Study 2: MASUM: 

5 Case Study 2: MASUM MASUM started SHGs in Parner Block of Pune district in 1997 to initiate a savings and credit programme for rural women with an aim to strengthen the economic self reliance of rural women, empower women through creating access to credit and motivate them to gradually build their own resources base. Women's Resource Development Programme (WRDC) was Started in 1991 in Malshiras and Mavdi villages WRDC was modeled in line with Bangladesh Grameen Bank.

Global Experiences: 

6 Global Experiences Zimbabwe, Africa BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee CRECER (Credito Con Educacion Rural) in Bolivia SEWA (Self- Employed Women’s Association, India) SHARE (Society for Helping Awakening Rural Poor through Education) in India Save the Children (Honduras)

OD, Governance & HR: 

7 OD, Governance & HR Exposure Trip Vocational Training Dealing with social evils- Bigamy, d owry, DV, sex selective abortions Fighting casteism Support for Deserted Woman Monitoring school education Managing mid-day meal programmes Networking with PRIs

Capacity Building, Skills, Information Dissemination and Technology for Women’s Leadership : 

8 Capacity Building, Skills, Information Dissemination and Technology for Women’s Leadership Registration of WSHGs Government Schemes Gender Audit of financial allocation technology (SIM card and IT enabled services) Experiences of Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Mandali

Microenterprise, Livelihoods, Employment, Agriculture and Land Facilitating Land leasing to the SHG Federation: 

9 Microenterprise, Livelihoods, Employment, Agriculture and Land Facilitating Land leasing to the SHG Federation Grain Bank precondition to avail the loan to register joint title in the name of wife and husband and wherever land title in the name of sons then the name of daughter in law had to be registered. Loans the name of women exclusively. The loan extended exclusively to bring back the mortgaged land. Single women given 1st priority both in small land holders as well as landless category. Non SHG members to become part of SHG after paying an equal amount to other members in the SHG. Land Distribution No interest in the 1st year for the loan extended. From second year subsequently the farmers to pay back half of the produce. The families not allowed again to mortgage the land for marriage/ dowry purpose.

Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women: 

10 Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women Social Empowerment- Stree Mukti Sangathana, Maharashtra Gender Sensitive and Environment Friendly empowerment of women Rain water harvesting, solid waste management, Anti alcohol campaign, crusade against child marriage

Innovations, Operations, Products, Services : 

11 Innovations, Operations, Products, Services Operational efficiency, innovative practices, branding of products and enterprise development are given highest premium in the microfinance movement. Many SHGs in several states of India have joined right to food and right to health campaigns. They have transcended the stage of money circulation and moved towards enterprise development.

Women’s Leadership in Directing and Influencing Microfinance Policy: 

12 Women’s Leadership in Directing and Influencing Microfinance Policy SHGs should be formed only by NGOs or Women Development Corporations with the requisite knowledge and ethos of SHG development and micro-credit movement. Once an NGO is selected, the nurturing grants should be released every quarter to it, after reviewing training milestones, group savings and internal lending data and not on the basis of bank gradation. NGOs should receive nurturing grants for at least five years, during which they should support the group. A state level agency should be appointed to train NGOs and also be permitted to appoint their own NGOs to implement the programme in addition to implementation through its field workers.

Policy Recommendations : 

13 Policy Recommendations SHG groups should not be broken up by the banks insistence to drop the member who is a defaulter or whose family member is a defaulter of the bank. Along with initiatives for improving the programme delivery mechanism, bankers need to be trained and sensitized every three months, because of the high turnover of bankers in rural areas and the ignorance of bankers coming from urban postings to the needs of rural areas. NGO releases should not be made contingent to the group taking up economic activities. NGOs should be evaluated on the basis of group capacity building and training.

Policy Recommendations: 

14 Policy Recommendations An integrated approach is required for meeting over-all credit needs of a poor family in terms of backward linkages with technology and forward linkages with processing and marketing organisations. Credit needs to be provided for diversified activities including consumption loans and against sudden calamities. Credit in the right amount and at the right time to farm-women should be ensured for various purposes like income-generating livelihood activities, production, housing and other emergency needs of the family. The delivery system has to be proactive and should respond to the financial needs of the farmers. Cooperative Banks and Rural Regional Banks should be strengthened which should formulate new products for diversified & integrated farm and non-farm activities, including insurance, commensurate with the demand and to provide cheaper and timely credit.

Paradigm shift from micro-finance to livelihood finance : 

15 Paradigm shift from micro-finance to livelihood finance financial services, (including insurance for life, health, crops and livestock: infrastructure finance for roads, power, market, telecom etc and investment in human development), agriculture and business development services (including productivity enhancement, local value addition, alternate market linkages etc) and institutional development services (forming and strengthening various producers’ organisations, such as SHGs, water user associations, forest protection committees, credit and commodity cooperatives, empowering Panchayats through capacity building and knowledge centers etc.).

Disturbing Trends: 

16 Disturbing Trends The 62nd Round of NSSO (2005) reveals that rural households account for 63% of the country’s overall aggregate outstanding debt of Rs. 177,000 crores. Incidence of indebtedness was reported to be about 27% among rural households, predominantly in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Karnataka. In some cases micro credit clients are worse off after accessing loans. Since higher interest rates on micro credit do not provide scope for savings and for investing in insurance, the dominant risk covering factors for the poor, micro credit seldom propel the poor out of poverty. MAJOR ISSUES Borrower Harassment Lack of code of Conduct and Accountability Politicisation of Micro Finance movement

Conclusion: 

17 Conclusion Micro Finance Bill (MF Bill) to regulate microfinance institutions (MFIs). More than 40% of the people in the country do not have a bank account. India is the home to the biggest microfinance movement in the world. NABARD has declared ‘Human development, if not engendered is endangered’ and found microfinance with Core Banking, ICTs and region specific flexibility in lending norms the most effective to attain enhanced level of human development Need for some all India organization both for SHGs and MFIs, for sharing experiences, learning lessons and for advocating on policy related issues with the governments and other authorities.

Thank You: 

18 Thank You