Microfinance Schemes and Poverty Reduction among Women in the Northern Region of Ghana
Joseph Owusu, Achaligabe Colson Akanbasiam, Alex Asunsung Anyesepari

Abstract
In Ghana like in other countries, microfinance has been acknowledged as a pro- poor development intervention because of its special programme models in meeting the special needs of the poor especially women. The study explores the contributions of microfinance programmes to poverty reduction and empowerment among women. Qualitative methodologies were used to collect the primary data from about 29 informants recruited from the MFIs. The study found out that MFIs give credits with conditions that are not favourable to the needs of the women. It was also found out that, the dependency burdens on women coupled with the low credit that the women access from the MFIs for productive activities lead the women to deploy the credit to meet the demand of both the business and household. Moreover it was revealed by the study that irrespective of the women’s access to credit and income their bargaining power and fallback positions in household decision making processes are largely defined by the gendered regimes within the household economy.

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