Microfinance and gender some findings from the financial diaries in malawi

FINANCIAL SERVICES ASSESSMENT

MICROFINANCE & GENDER: SOME FINDINGS FROM THE FINANCIAL DIARIES IN MALAWI VWomen handled the day-to-day management of

the household, but men took control of the bigger, more momentous household transactions. VIn enterprise management, men carried out more

expenditures than women as well as much higher dollar-amount transactions. VIn the area of cash transfers,

by and large,

women received cash gifts, while men gave them. VUnlike cash gifts, informal loans tended to be

same-gender. VAnalysis of OIBM van use suggests that distance

to and convenience of banking services may be more important to women than to men.

BY GUY STUART, MICHAEL FERGUSON & MONIQUE COHEN,

Microfinance Opportunities

VFemale OIBM clients showed less tendency

toward increased dependency on cash gifts over the study, compared with non-clients.

MALAWI V MAY 2011