Microfinance Loan Services, Community and Well-Being - A Case of Women Borrowers from Pakistan

This study aims to investigate how additional support from the microfinance provider and community could facilitate the holistic well-being of Pakistan's women microfinance borrowers. Five different microfinance providers were sampled randomly from Lahore. Questionnaires, developed with the help of loan-officers, were administered to 149 women borrowers belonging to both rural and urban zones. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis was used to show the socio-demographic characteristics of women borrowers and the odds of improved well-being, respectively. Findings revealed that women could attain improved well-being if they received additional social development features as part of their loan portfolio such as monthly meetings, health insurance schemes and flexible loan designs for repeat clients. It was also found that women had higher odds of experiencing well-being when husband and in-laws shared domestic responsibilities, provided emotional support for paid-work participation and encouraged the involvement of women in decision-making for the home and family.