Family network and household decision making power: analysis on Grameen Microcredit borrowers in Bangladesh.

Microcredit, a system of small loans, invests in the creativity of an individual, stimulating the development of their potential. This process leads to the creation of different objectives that, in turn, allow individuals to develop their capabilities. In addition to providing economic benefits, microfinance may be an effective vehicle for women’s empowerment, and newly acquired business skills may be accompanied by improvements in self-esteem, the ability to resolve conflicts, household decision making power, and improve the quality of family relationships. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of microcredit intervention, in terms of improving the economic well-being of women and their families, and increasing benefits in terms of individual welfare, family and society. It is therefore an impact assessment study that aims to detect a significant change on new women borrowers’ lives from Noakhali District at the South of Bangladesh. Manova Analysis allowed distinguishing from women with positive or negative outcomes related to the loan performance. Data revealed consistent differences in terms of economical outcomes and psychological well-being amongst the groups of subject analyzed. In this chapter we will present the preliminary results regarding the family well-being detected by two indicators: the household decision-making power and the quality of family relationships. The data gathered in relation to the changes arisen in the individuals should be looked into through future, continuous and systematic, monitoring.