The Shared Roles of the Central Bank, Commercial Banks and Women Chambers in Promoting Innovative Financing Models for Women-led SMEs
Policy, Center on Budget and | October 2017
Abstract
Over the last two decades, the focus of development policy initiatives to reduce poverty has undergone a significant shift. Known as the "inclusive finance" approach, these new initiatives advocate for a "Finance for All (FFA)" approach to bring excluded populations into the realm of mainstream banking, developing new schemes for ensuring better access to financial credit, and educating them about various financial products and services which may help them in making informed decisions. In the context of Bangladesh, the impact of these initiatives has already been felt and over the years, significant efforts have been made to facilitate the level and extent of financial inclusion of the poor into the mainstream banking sector.
However, Bangladesh's approach towards inclusive finance differs from the broader FFA policy agenda. Whereas in general inclusive financial market approaches leave a focus on women and gender equality outside the core of the debate, special efforts have been made in Bangladesh for increasing women’s access to finance. The introduction and implementation of these policy initiatives raise a few important questions: (1) What are the key barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in gaining access to markets and becoming engaged in different business ventures? (2) How effective are the existing policies and programs in addressing the challenges faced by the women entrepreneurs? (3) What actions can be taken to make the policy and programmatic interventions more helpful and effective?
This paper focuses on finding answers to these key questions while providing a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the situation of the women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. At the same time, this paper concentrates on both the demand side factors (i.e., issues related to the capacity and understanding of women entrepreneurs that may hinder their access to credit) and the supply side factors (i.e., the impact of policies developed by the Government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Bank on women’s entrepreneurship, as well as the capacity, willingness and commitment of commercial banks to support women entrepreneurs). Further, research suggests women’s business chambers with adequate capacity can play a complementary role in advancing women’s access to finance. This study explores the role played by the District Women Chambers in the context of Bangladesh.
Citation
Policy, Center on Budget and. 2017. The Shared Roles of the Central Bank, Commercial Banks and Women Chambers in Promoting Innovative Financing Models for Women-led SMEs. © The Asia Foundation. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/7682.Keywords
Comparative Analysis
Social Research
Sex Discrimination
Employment Discrimination
Women's Rights
Equal Opportunity
Equal Pay
Feminism
Men's Role
Women's Role
Development Economics
Economic Analysis
Economic Impact
Socioeconomic Development
Socioeconomic Indicators
Gender
Gender Bias
Gender Differences
Gender Discrimination
Gender Equality
Gender Gaps
Gender Inequality
Gender Issues
Gender Relations
Gender Roles
Econometric analysis
Economic implications
Economies in transition
Economic integration
Growth potential
Gross national product
Economic discrimination
Socioeconomic surveys
Gender-based analysis
Sex differences
Job bias
Equal employment opportunity
Fair employment practice
Job discrimination
Affirmative action programs
Sex dicrimination against women
Pay equity
Sexism
Equal rights amendment
Emancipation of women
Equal rights
Women's movements
Feminist economics
Labor economics
Women in economic development
Women in development
Wage survey
Cost and standard of living
Human capital
Show allCollapse
Citable URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11540/7682Metadata
Show full item recordRelated items
-
South Asia Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium: Accelerating Women’s Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh
Foundation, The Asia (The Asia Foundation, 2015-10-30)From September 2012 through October 2015, The Asia Foundation implemented an innovative South Asia regional program to advance women’s entrepreneurship. This program, supported by the U.S. Department of State, advanced the U.S. Government’s “New Silk Road” goals of enhanced regional economic integration and increased trade across South and Central Asia. The program built directly on the DOS 2012 ...From September 2012 through October 2015, The Asia Foundation implemented an innovative South Asia regional program to advance women’s entrepreneurship. This program, supported by the U.S. Department of State, advanced the U.S. Government’s “New Silk ... -
Women’s Political Participation in Myanmar: Experiences of Women Parliamentarians 2011-2016
Latt, Shwe Shwe Sein; Ninh, Kim N. B.; Myint, Mi Ki Kyaw; Lee, Susan (The Asia Foundation, 2017-06-22)Myanmar’s stated commitment to women’s role in public life is longstanding; women were granted the right to vote in 1935, one of the earliest countries in Asia to do so. Myanmar endorsed the Beijing Declaration in 1995 and became a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1997. The National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women 2013-2022 ...Myanmar’s stated commitment to women’s role in public life is longstanding; women were granted the right to vote in 1935, one of the earliest countries in Asia to do so. Myanmar endorsed the Beijing Declaration in 1995 and became a signatory to the ... -
Accelerate Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities in Korea: Research Findings on the Environment for Women-Owned Businesses in Gyeonggi Province
CHANEL, Fondation; Institute, Gyeonggido Family & Women’s Research (The Asia Foundation, 2019-09-30)Women’s economic empowerment is crucial to boosting job creation and economic growth globally. In Asia and the Pacific, closing the gender gap in economic opportunities by 2025 is estimated to increase gross domestic product (GDP) by 12 percent. 1 Women’s entrepreneurship is a key component of women’s economic empowerment, and beyond the economic gains, women’s entrepreneurship is crucial to advancing ...Women’s economic empowerment is crucial to boosting job creation and economic growth globally. In Asia and the Pacific, closing the gender gap in economic opportunities by 2025 is estimated to increase gross domestic product (GDP) by 12 percent. 1 ...