Are Women “Naturally” Better Credit Risks in Microcredit? Evidence from Field Experiments in Patriarchal and Matrilineal Societies in Bangladesh

Sugato Chakravarty (), Zahid Iqbal () and Abu Zafar Shahriar ()
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Zahid Iqbal: Purdue University
Abu Zafar Shahriar: Monash University

No 1019, Working Papers from Purdue University, Department of Consumer Sciences

Abstract: We use controlled experiments to identify the proximal causes of gender differences in the repayment of microcredit. We recruit male and female subjects from a patriarchal and a matrilineal community in Bangladesh, who live in the same villages, and find that the female subjects have a greater willingness to repay microcredit in every society irrespective of the type of loan. Thus, the observed gender differences in the repayment of microcredit cannot be explained by the different roles that women play in different societies. In other words, women are “naturally” better credit risks than men in microcredit. We confirm that our results are not driven by the common culture and values among our subjects that stem from geographical proximity.

Keywords: microfinance,nature; nurture; competition; loan repayment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 2013-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-dev, nep-exp, nep-mfd and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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