Are Women Better Bankers to the Poor? Evidence from Rural Microfinance Institutions

Valentina Hartarska, Denis A. Nadolnyak, Roy Mersland · 2014 · American Journal of Agricultural Economics

Summary. Microfinance institutions with female CEOs achieve significantly higher outreach efficiency in serving poor populations while maintaining financial sustainability compared to those led by men. Using stochastic frontier analysis on panel data from over 250 MFIs, the researchers found that female leadership correlates with better performance across both social and financial goals. Promoting women to top management positions in microfinance yields measurable benefits for both poverty alleviation and institutional viability.

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Hartarska, V., Nadolnyak, D. A., & Mersland, R.. (2014). Are Women Better Bankers to the Poor? Evidence from Rural Microfinance Institutions. American Journal of Agricultural Economics. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aau061

@article{hartarska-2014-women-better-bankers-poor-evidence,
  title   = {Are Women Better Bankers to the Poor? Evidence from Rural Microfinance Institutions},
  author  = {Valentina Hartarska and Denis A. Nadolnyak and Roy Mersland},
  journal = {American Journal of Agricultural Economics},
  year    = {2014},
  doi     = {10.1093/ajae/aau061},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aau061}
}

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TI  - Are Women Better Bankers to the Poor? Evidence from Rural Microfinance Institutions
AU  - Valentina Hartarska
AU  - Denis A. Nadolnyak
AU  - Roy Mersland
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DO  - 10.1093/ajae/aau061
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Details

DOI: 10.1093/ajae/aau061
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: funding, entrepreneurship
Added: 2026-04-28