The Effect of Microfinance on Women’s Empowerment in Ghana: A Meta-Regression Analysis

Abstract: Microcredit is often regarded as the best tool for poverty alleviation and women's empowerment. The literature agrees that microcredit impacts positively different aspects of women’s lives. However, there are some aspects, including patriarchal norms and culture, that may obstacle to the success of those programs. Hence, the thesis analyzes the effect of microfinance and women’s empowerment in Ghana, using meta-regression analysis. I employed 13 papers published between 2011 and 2021. Moreover, I use a thematic review approach to analyze and systematically summarize the findings of qualitative studies. The analysis indicates that there is evidence for a positive relationship between microfinance and women’s empowerment. The findings are robust when controlling for the different proxies of women’s empowerment, the different regions of Ghana and the different types of microfinance services. I concluded that overall the positive effect of microcredit on different aspects of women’s lives promotes empowerment.