Microfinance : Research, Debates, Policy

As microfinance is increasingly being absorbed into broader debates on financial inclusion and sustainable development, there is a growing number of professionals operating in international relations and development who are often confronted with sweeping statements about the alleged benefits and risks of microfinance. This book provides a concise introduction to microfinance – the key issues, debates, research agenda and public policy relevance.

Illustrated by real-life examples, the book’s sections also highlight key publications and data sources and identify gaps for future research. The book will be an invaluable resource both for development economists and for scholars in neighbouring disciplines who need to get up to speed quickly on the current debates and research in microfinance.

Bernd Balkenhol is Professor for Microfinance and Financial Inclusion at the University of Geneva (Geneva School of Economics and Management). He is former Director of the Social Finance Program at the International Labor Organization (ILO) and senior policy advisor to the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in Dakar. He represented ILO at CGAP and the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, and coordinated the IV European Microfinance Research Conference in 2015 at the University of Geneva. He acquired his PhD at the University of Freiburg and an MA at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Medford, Mass.).