Microcredit: an alternative for women's empowerment?

                                            WIDE one-day consultation
                                                  Friday, 15th of May
                                                  From 9:00 til 17:00
                                  Venue: Coopération Technique Belge (CTB)

Programme of the conference
Biography of speakers
Background information
Background reading for the conference
EC initiative on Microcredit (2007)
EP report on Microcredit (2009)
Gender European Report
Reaching and empowering women-Linda Mayoux (2008)

WIDE, in the current context of its work on the neoliberal agenda, will address the issue of microcredit as an alternative for women´s empowerment during a one-day conference organized on the 15th of May in Brussels.

The conference will aim at providing a comprehensive approach to microcredit: its specificities and impacts in the South, its implementation in the EU and its challenges especially in the context of the current financial and economic crisis. It will be an opportunity to gather different views and share experiences around microcredit practices.

"Microcredit: an alternative for women´s empowerment?" will present Microcredit from European and Southern perspectives and will provoke a debate on three main issues:

• Does microcredit really lead to women´s empowerment in the South?
• Can microcredit be considered as a sustainable alternative to stimulate employment and fight against discrimination in the EU?
• Are women in EU going to be the main target group for microcredit, as it is in the developing countries?

According to the Lisbon Strategy, the European Commission started to analyse the possibility of developing microcredit within the EU in 2007 with an initiative aiming at supporting growth and employment. Since the crisis, proposals in favour of such development have increased stating the potential of microcredit as an alternative to paralysed global economy.

Does microcredit lead to women´s empowerment? Invited speakers from Africa, Asia and South America, as well as guests from Europe will present various points of view at this unique consultation around such burning issue.

The conference is open to the general public. Please register and have your say!

*Participation of 10 euro per person. Includes sandwiches, beverages and cocktail. Interpretation in English, French and Spanish will be provided*

For more details and registration, please contact Isabelle GENTILHOMME by email at: isabelle[at]wide-network.org or by phone at: 0032.2.545.90.77