Project Record

Objectives:

To assess the impact of microcredit on health, wealth and well‐being of people living in developing countries and poor, excluded or marginalised within their own society.

Secondary objectives include:

• To understand whether the impact of microcredit on any of these outcomes modified by a) gender of borrower, b) poverty status of household, c) rural/urban setting, d) geographical location, e) presence of second income earner in the household, and f) type of product?
• To scope and characterise the qualitative studies for future systematic review.

Background:

Microfinance is commonly heralded as the wondrous tool that alleviates poverty and empowers women. The empirical evidence, however, is inconclusive. Moreover, no systematic review on the impact of microcredit on the socio‐economic well‐being of households has so far been collated.

Intended Outputs:

Outputs will consist of a protocol and a published review.

General Notes:

DFID is also funding another Systematic Review which focuses on the impact of microcredit on the incomes of poor people in Africa.