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Microfinance Is Good for Women, but It's Only Part of the Solution

Harvard Business Review

Career paths are not one-size-fits-all, yet in emerging markets, it's often assumed that microfinance — the use of small loans to foster self-reliant small businesses in a community setting — is the only path for women seeking economic opportunity. Microfinance was one issue that we considered.

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An Approach to Ending Poverty That Works

Harvard Business Review

Microfinance and other market-based interventions don’t generally reach them. Discussion abounds in the development sector today about the best ways to empower the poor. 5% of GDP over six years. At BRAC , where I work, we call this subset the “ultra-poor.” And we may have found a way to do this.