ABSTRACT

This chapter provides the background against which the microlending structure and reviews women’s involvement in the credit program. The Elashin Bazar is the center of socioeconomic life for the people from the study village and surrounding villages. The socioeconomic and moral closeness of women borrowers in the study village, the control of the hierarchical village social organization, for example, the honor of the homestead; and regulation by the shamaj all constitute powerful devices that ensure high repayment rates at the bank. The geographical location of the area plays an important role in the development of business for its people. Male members of Grameen borrower households use Grameen loans to women in their business. Labor migration—workers moving temporarily to other countries to obtain a higher return on their labor—is a contemporary trend in Bangladesh. Labor migration from rural Bangladesh to foreign countries and remittances to rural households are particularly significant.