Assessing the Impact of the Grameen Bank on Women's Status and Fertility in Bangladesh

by Mizanur Rahman, Julie DaVanzo

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The Grameen Bank (GB) is a recently developed, innovative, and highly organized credit union system in Bangladesh. It has achieved remarkable success in income generation among the rural poor, particularly poor women. Currently it serves more than 1.5 million members, 93 percent of whom are women. The Bank appears to have had a substantial economic and social impact on the lives of poor women in Bangladesh. The purpose of the paper is to review the potential impact of GB activities on aspects of economic and social life that affect women's status and fertility.

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