Micro Finance, Micro Enterprises and Women Entrepreneurs

Contents: 1. Role of Women in Society.  2. Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship.  3. Micro Finance and Micro Enterprises.  4. Problems and Prospects of Micro Entrepreneurs.  5. Government Policy and Schemes/Programmes for Women Entrepreneurs.  6. Financial/Credit Reach of Women Entrepreneurs. 7. Marketing Reach of Women Entrepreneurs.  Appendix: Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship: A Case Study of Kalahandi, Bolangir, and Koraput (KBK) Districts of Odisha. Bibliography. Index.

Micro finance is the provision of a diverse range of financial services and products including small loans (micro credit), saving accounts, insurance, pensions and money transfers. These are designed to assist people living in poverty who are not able to access financial services in the mainstream banking sector because they have no collateral, formal identification or steady income.

Micro enterprises contribute significantly to economic growth, equity and social stability. The sector is one of the most important vehicles through which low-income-earning people can escape poverty. With limited skills and education, poor women, particularly in rural areas, find tremendous economic opportunities in micro enterprises.

This book explains and examines the role of micro finance and micro enterprises in empowering women from disadvantaged sections of the Indian economy.