Microfinance, the provision of financial services to poor people, suffers from high interest rates owing to high transaction costs. Within these transaction costs, technologies such as MIS may be a solution to lower operating costs. However, the small size of most MFIs makes software seem...

Microfinance programs like Self Help Group Bank linkage program (SHG), aim to empower women through provision of financial services. We investigate this further to determine whether it is the economic or the non-economic factors that have a greater impact on empowering women. Using household...

We evaluate the effect of training, in both skill development and human capital, provided by facilitators of self help groups (SHGs). Indian SHGs are unique in that they are mainly NGOformed microfinance groups but later funded by commercial banks. The results suggest that, in general, training...