Microfinance Gateway Article on New Impact Studies

September 03, 2009

Thirty years into the movement, it might seem strange that researchers are still asking whether microfinance reduces poverty. In fact, by the standards used to judge whether drugs are safe and effective in the bloodstreams of people, the safety and effectiveness of microfinance injected into the fabric of villages and barrios remains unproven. Somewhat by chance, 2009 is turning out to be a pivotal year in the study of the impacts of microfinance. A new generation of studies is emerging that promises to give us a clearer view of the effects.

That's from the article I was invited to write for CGAP's Microfinance Gateway, which has just been posted. To write it, I synthesized several pieces on this blog on the study of impacts. Comments welcome, here or there.

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