• Dhruba Lal Pandey

Purpose: Nepal is an underdeveloped country and the access of women to financial resource is very low. Central Bank of Nepal adopted the policy of micro financing to the females who have poor access to financial resources. As the outcome of this policy Central Bank of Nepal introduced microfinance organizations as the D grade financial institution in Nepal but the impact of such financing has not been measured. Thus, this study is aiming to examine the effect of microfinance services in economic empowerment of women. The study considered, credit facility, saving facility and training facility as microfinance services because these are the major services provided by Nepalese microfinance companies and saving in the financial institutions by women and spending freedom and ownership of women in other fixed assets were considered as empowerment variables. Methodology: This study covered the women who have already involved in the micro finance activities. Almost 1500 females were involved in microfinance activities within study area. 150 females were taken as sample for the study purpose. Structure 5 point likert scale questionnaire have been developed and administered for the collection of data. As the study tried to examine the relationship between microfinance services and economic empowerment of women so the study adopted correlation analysis and regression models for the analysis of data. Findings: The major finding of the study is saving facility negatively affects saving and spending habit and ownership on other fixed assets but other variables training and credit facility significantly enhances the economic empowerment of women in Nepal. The study found out the prominent variables that contribute significantly in the microfinance sector. Implications: Most of the Nepalese microfinance industries are focusing to economic empowerment of women. Thus, this study findings can be used by all the microfinance institutions to reform their policies. Originality: Till now the available literatures are based on the functions of microfinance but not on the effectiveness of microfinance activities on women empowerment.

Women empowerment, Microfinance, ownership on assets, spending habits

"Micro-finance and economic empowerment of women: An impact assessment", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 9, page no.1073-1080, September 2020, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2009442.pdf

"Micro-finance and economic empowerment of women: An impact assessment", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 9, page no. pp1073-1080, September 2020, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2009442.pdf