Women on Microcredit: Experiences of Women Trapped Between the Neoliberal Ethics and Poverty

Authors

  • Semiha Arı
  • Çağla Diner

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33831/jws.v17i2.208

Keywords:

microcredit, neoliberalism, poverty, feminization of poverty, women’s empowerment

Abstract

This study intends to narrate the life conditions of the poor women members of the Turkish Grameen Microfinance Program (TGMP) in Batman along with their experiences with indebtedness and their views on the program. It will also give information on how the women spend the credits they receive with a focus on whether or not the microcredit program of the TGMP enables women to establish small businesses from which they can earn income. The findings of the qualitative research carried out with a small group of women show that we need to question why the microcredit programs are becoming more widespread both in practice and in the development discourse in Turkey as well as all over the globe in the past fifteen years. The expansion of the microfinance sector and the related support that these programs receive from many different states, including Turkey, and international organizations should be regarded as one of the consequences of the fact that today capitalism can only be sustained through financial expansion. The microcredit programs, most of which hold the claim to struggle with poverty, actually fit in very well with the neoliberal governance strategies that embrace the view that states should be rid of most of the responsibilities they used to carry for the welfare of their people. The research that is based on qualitative interviews with women who use microcredit in Batman has given us the opportunity to reflect on how the state has been transforming in the neoliberal era. It has also led us to see what kind of roles and functions are regarded as appropriate for women in this transformation of not only the economy but also the state and its governance strategies. 

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Published

2016-12-12

How to Cite

Arı, S., & Diner, Çağla. (2016). Women on Microcredit: Experiences of Women Trapped Between the Neoliberal Ethics and Poverty. Kadın/Woman 2000, Journal for Women’s Studies, 17(2), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.33831/jws.v17i2.208

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2016): Kadın/Woman 2000, Journal for Women's Studies

Section

Articles

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