Uneasy passages between neoliberalism and feminism: Social inclusion and financialization in Israel's empowerment microfinance

This article focuses on feminist non‐governmental organizations advocating for economic empowerment of women (EEW) through microfinance, using Israel as a case study. Through fieldwork, interviews and documents, we investigate the institutional practices, cultural discourses and struggles that EEWs develop in order to expose the particular ways in which feminist organizations interact with the world of finance and state institutions. Our analysis points to the complex power dynamics of mediation, suggesting that there are ‘uneasy passages' between neoliberalism and feminism, ones that help re‐signify the meaning of financial discourses while re‐politicizing women's social and economic exclusions. Simultaneously, however, this relation induces a series of compromises, whereby EEWs adopt neoliberal modes of governance. Rejecting the notion that contemporary feminism has simply been co‐opted by neoliberalism or the perception of EEW microfinance as a mere expansion of neoliberal rationalities, we reveal new sites and ways in which feminism both colludes and collides with neoliberalism.     

Over‐indebtedness and microcredit in Cambodia: Moving beyond borrower‐centric frames

Over the past two decades, Cambodia has experienced an unprecedented credit boom, a growth in lending so rapid that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) referred to it as “one of the fastest financial deepening episodes by historical cross‐cultural standards” (IMF, 2016, p. 4). This deepening has been driven by the expansion of microcredit. In tandem, over‐indebtedness has increased among microcredit borrowers, and debt has become a significant political and economic concern. This article explores how over‐indebtedness is understood and explained by stakeholders across microcredit value chains. To do so, we draw on interviews with microfinance institution (MFI) executives, investors, branch managers, partners, financial literacy trainers, loan officers and borrowers in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. We find that across the sector, dominant framings of over‐indebtedness privilege borrower‐centric explanations, while discounting the structural drivers of excessive lending and borrowing. As a consequence, current efforts to limit over‐indebtedness are unlikely to produce the kinds of solutions that are most needed to reduce the debt stress among borrowers. These arguments have implications across the Global South, particularly for contexts where microfinance is rapidly expanding.     

小额信贷经理人愿意扶贫吗？——基于西北地区贫困县152位信贷经理人的经验分析

基于西北5省15个国家级贫困县152位信贷经理人的问卷调查,分析了小额信贷经理人的扶贫意愿、行为以及影响因素。经验研究结果表明：在调研的国家级贫困县中,尽管近六成小额信贷经理人向贫困户发放过贷款,但业务量总体较少,具有信贷扶贫意愿的不到2成;性别、教育背景、收入满意度、信贷决策自主性、放贷任务以及是否完成任务对信贷扶贫业务有显著影响;性别和信贷自主权对扶贫意愿具有显著影响。由此,在信贷扶贫项目选择信贷经理人时,采取差异化策略,有序放松信贷自主权,加强扶贫效果考核,对提高金融扶贫绩效会起到积极的作用。     

Sustainability and depth of outreach: Evidence from microfinance institutions in sub‐Saharan Africa

The feasibility of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to expand outreach to the poorest while remaining financially sustainable has long been debated. Using data from 206 MFIs in 33 African countries, we adopt the three‐stage least square technique to assess whether a trade‐off exists between sustainability and outreach depth. Our results confirm the existence of a trade‐off. The evidence also supports ongoing subsidies for MFIs with the aim of encouraging outreach. In addition, we examine whether there is an inflection point beyond which higher interest rates reduce profitability for MFIs. We find no evidence of a threshold beyond which profitability is reduced.     

Innovations to Make Markets More Inclusive for the Poor

Market failures, government failures and some of the characteristics of both the poor and business actors as well as their environment can act as barriers preventing the poor from participating more actively in markets, both as consumers and as producers. Private actors ‐ including for‐profit and not‐for‐profit entities, often in partnership with the public sector ‐ have been able to mitigate some of these constraints through innovations that have helped to make markets more inclusive for the poor, enabling them not just to gain access, but also to participate in ways that enhance their economic empowerment and human development. This article identifies the strategies and innovations used and devises a possible typology for them.     

小额信贷可持续发展面临的问题及对策分析

小额信贷引入我国已有近二十年了，对我国的扶贫攻坚计划起了重要的作用，但随着经济形势的变化，小额信贷面临一些新的问题。本文从小额信贷的产品设计、目标群体的定位、财务可持续以及面临的风险等四个方面出发，分析了其面临的可持续问题，并在此基础上提出了相关对策。     

项目选择、贷款支持与小额贷款项目的经营状况———基于东中西部贫困农户的调查分析

小额贷款项目引入我国农村以来,其实施过程和绩效评估得到政界和学界的广泛关注。以我国东中西部贫困农户问卷调查数据为基础,通过多分类变量回归模型分析小额贷款项目类型、贷款额度等对项目经营状况的影响,发现：（1）小额贷款项目类型对项目经营状况影响显著,相比养殖业,从事种植和商贸业的农户盈利的概率较高;（2）贷款额度仅对项目持平影响显著,对项目盈利的影响不明显;（3）而贫困户主的年龄、技能等对项目经营状况均有显著影响,年龄对项目经营状况的影响表现出“间断性”,技能在项目盈利中表现出明显优势。     

The challenges of poverty and social welfare in the Caribbean

Poverty and related social problems have presented a long-standing challenge to policy makers and development planners throughout the Caribbean. This article is a social primer on anti-poverty strategies and welfare programmes established in Caribbean countries. It presents a comprehensive overview of poverty and attendant problems, discusses the social welfare approach and poverty reduction strategies, and outlines practical proposals for pursuing social development.     

社会企业视角下的小额信贷可持续发展研究——以宁夏盐池小额信贷转型实践为例

宁夏盐池小额信贷是全国第一家获准转型为小额信贷公司的公益性小额信贷机构。转型后,盐池小额信贷非但没有偏离其扶贫目标,反而由于服务能力的提高而使扶贫目标在更大范围和更深层次上得到实现。文章在实地调研的基础上,从社会企业的视角出发,对盐池小额信贷的经验及具体做法进行了深入的研究和总结,以期对其他同类小额信贷机构平衡双重目标约束,保证小额信贷的可持续发展提供有益的借鉴和启示。     

民族地区农户小额信贷的产生理论与成效分析

我国扶贫工作已进入关键时刻,扶贫攻坚必须落实到村,落实到户,这是由基本解决农村贫困人口问题的目标和现阶段中国农村基本经营制度决定的.小额信贷是一种开发式扶贫,作为一种促进最贫困者物质资本和人力资本形成的一种有效制度,在农村地区的引进和实验,其积极意义是十分明显的.同时,由于农村地区的贫困面大、贫困程度深,内部又存在着自然、经济、文化、民族等方面的巨大差异,小额信贷在西部的推展就不可避免地遇到诸多的矛盾和问题,必须深化改革.