When the bottom line isn't the end of the story: Women's experiences with micro-enterprise, credit and empowerment in Mbeya, Tanzania

Micro-enterprise credit has recently gained increasing prominence as a tool for achieving poverty alleviation in the name of 'development'. Although 'empowerment' is frequently assumed to ensue from such projects, the term itself is often left undefined and the process through which it is expected to be achieved remains unclear. This thesis explores the assumed connection between micro-enterprise credit and empowerment in the context of donor-funded projects. The analysis is based on research carried out with women who participated in one such project in Mbeya, Tanzania. The case study reveals that the assumptions upon which credit projects are based frequently do not coincide with women's realities. In this context, the case study findings demonstrate that women actively engage in efforts to redefine the political space afforded by the project in ways which will enable them to achieve their self-defined empowerment objectives.