The Impact of Microfinance Programmes on Women’s Lives: A Case Study in Kabul Province

This case study looks at women’s participation in a microfinance programme in a community in Kabul Province. It finds that while the process of taking loans has allowed some women to gain a degree of empowerment, the microfinance initiative has had little impact on changing decision-making power or the gendered division of labour. Instead, microfinance institutions' focus on financial sustainability and reluctance to address perceived social conservatism have limited their ability to transform women's position in the community.