Ashraf, N., Karlan, D., &Yin, W. (2010). Female empowerment: Impact of a commitment savings product in the Philippines. World development, 38(3), 333-344.

Female “empowerment” has increasingly become a policy goal, both as an end to itself and as a means to achieving other development goals. Microfinance in particular has often been argued, but not without controversy, to be a tool for empowering women. Here, using a randomized controlled trial, we examine whether access to and marketing of an individually held commitment savings product lead to an increase in female decision-making power within the household. We find positive impacts, particularly for women who have below median decision-making power in the baseline, and we find this leads to a shift toward female-oriented durables goods purchased in the household.

 

 

Ashraf, N., Karlan, D., &Yin, W. (2010). Female empowerment: Impact of a commitment savings product in the Philippines. World development, 38(3), 333-344.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2009.05.010