un csw 60 - islamic relief presentation
TRANSCRIPT
The role of Microfinance in reducing exclusion, and promoting women and girls’ economic rights and empowerment – The
Bangladesh Experience Mousumi Saikia, Thursday 17 March 2016
1. General Overview - Social Exclusion
2. Microfinance – role in promoting inclusion and empowerment
3. Theory of Change
4. Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Approach
5. Case Study
6. Evidence of Achievements
7. Islamic Relief’s Distinct Solution
Contents
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
General Overview - Social Exclusion
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
• Social exclusion - key determining factor of poverty and material deprivation1
• Social exclusion is complex and multidimensional2
• Poor societies – economic exclusion is at the heart of the issue of exclusion3
• Gender remains one of the most fundamental sources of inequality and exclusion, spanning public and private spheres4 - higher barrier for women to access finance
Microfinance – role in promoting inclusion and empowerment
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
• Financial inclusion - critical to achieve inclusive growth and women’s empowerment and sustainable economic growth and development.
• Empowerment - a multidimensional and interdependent process1.
• Meaningful empowerment and participation - require efforts to balance power relations, both at the level of agency2 and structure3.
• Not enough to provide financial interventions to address only material deprivation4
• Address wider issues which have a huge impact on the lives of poor people5
Theory of Change
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
• Social empowerment model which integrates the micro and macro level1 – Address empowerment more holistically
• Bangladesh IMF ventures – integrating and harnessing the synergies between I-MF, gender justice and child protection2
Theory of Change
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
Addressing the underlying issues which exclude women and constrain equitable opportunities and participation will:
• Increase women’s and girls’ agency and they will have genuine access to and control over economic resources;
• Enable their participation in the family and community decision making processes;
• Give them more power to balance their roles and mobilise against or report violent incidents;
• This in turn will respond to their strategic gender needs and enhance their ability to participate in, contribute to and benefit equitably from development.
Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Approach
Changing the life of Motoara Begum
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
“I was very happy the day my husband pulling our own van came with the full income without rental cost and gave the money to me”.
Evidence of Achievements
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
Project Name
# Clients # SHG & Cooperative
Impact on different spheres
Economic Empowerment & access to finance
Rights, Protection and Justice
Access to Service Access to WASH
ICAP 5000 200 SHG and 1 Cooperative
5000 women and girls are engaged in IGAs like agricultural production and livestock rearing.
Protected 8 forced marriage, 9 illegal divorces, 29 domestic violence and 5 polygamies.
Ensured social safety net enrolment for 6 old aged women and 4 widowed women.
85 sanitary latrine set and 42 tube well were claimed and constructed from local govt. fund.
578 sanitary latrine and 265 tube well were constructed through cooperative initiative.
PROVED 1500 50 SHG and 1 Cooperative
All beneficiaries are very actively engaged in savings mobilisation, group and individual IGAs.
Diversified IGAs are very common under this cooperative.
Protected 4 child marriage, 6 domestic violence and 4 dowry payment.
100% children’s schooling of direct beneficiary HHs is ensured.
Access to local Govt. office, Bank and market places is critically improved.
Women rights and choices in decision and protection against domestic violence is ensured under collective action.
Sanitation and tube well for all beneficiaries are ensured by their regular savings.
Islamic Relief’s Distinct Solution
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
• Microfinance services maintaining Islamic Shari'ah principles and savings product to beneficiaries along with awareness programmes.
• Beneficiaries provided assets rather than cash loans.
• Training is an integral part of IMF programmes to develop the beneficiaries in particular IGA so that beneficiaries can use optimum opportunity of their skills.
• IMF programmes are not profit driven, but rather the focus is beneficiaries’ progress towards poverty alleviation.
CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York
Thank you