| Abstract | This study attempts to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of micro credit programs on rnral
women in Bangladesh. It compares the impact of micro credit programs between government
and non-government organizations. The socioeconomic impact of micro credit programs on
rnral women is defined as social impacts such as, social empowerment, nutrition and health,
housing and sanitation, education and training and economic impacts, such as, income,
employment, production etc. The sample included 82 rnral women borrowers of Association
for Social Advancement (ASA) and Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB). 49
respondents were selected from ASA - a non-government organization and 33 were from
BRDB - a government organization.
The results show that the borrowers invested credit money mainly for pond aquaculture, petty
trading or grocery business, paddy husking, poultry raising, animal husbandry, handicrafts,
and mini garments. Most of the credits are used either only by husbands of the women
b01Towers or jointly with husbands. The self-employment opportunity and production of the
borrowers have been increased by the credit, as most of them were unemployed before taking
credit. Although micro credit moderately increased the income and savings it failed to make
the borrowers able to buy productive assets for their future. Results also show that the credit
programs have increased the freedom of women borrowers in their families and the control
over husband for limiting the children. However, it has not increased the purchasing ability of
the women and the freedom for participating in sociopolitical activities. Nutrition and health
condition of the borrowers and their family members has been increased marginally. Although
housing condition of the b01rnwers is modernized by the credit, sanitation condition has not
improved at all. There is hardly any positive impact of credit program on the level of
education of women borrowers and their children. Family violence and tension of the family
members of the borrowers have not been increased by the involvement in the credit program.
Few impact differences have been observed between the micro credit programs operated by
government and non-government organizations. The differences are related to the freedom of
women borrowers, employment opportunity, acquiring knowledge for rnnning business
project etc. Micro credit has increased more freedom for the borrowers of ASA compared to
the borrowers of BRDB. It has increased more employment oppo1tunities and higher
knowledge for running and implementing new business for the ASA's bonowers than the
borrowers of BRDB. The similarities of impact between government and non-government
programs are concerned with the increase of income and savings, production of borrowers,
empowerment in terms of purchasing ability, participating in social activities, freedom in the
family, control on birth, and housing and sanitation condition, education and training, and
family tension and violence. These similarities indicate that there is no basic difference
between the operational strategies and functional approaches of the micro credit programs of
government and non-government organizations in Bangladesh. However, both the credit
providers partially achieved their organizational objectives of micro credit programs |