microfinance
Meaning: The provision of small-scale financial services — including loans, savings accounts, and insurance — to low-income individuals or small enterprises that lack access to conventional banking.
Microfinance emerged as a development tool in the 1970s and 1980s, most famously through Muhammad Yunus's Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. It aims to promote financial inclusion by serving populations excluded from traditional banking. Microloans, often as small as £50 to £500, enable recipients to start or expand small businesses. The sector has attracted both praise for poverty alleviation and criticism for high interest rates and aggressive collection practices. 'Microfinance institution' (MFI) and 'microcredit' are closely related terms.
Examples
- The charity established a microfinance programme offering interest-free loans to women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa. 该慈善机构建立了一个微型金融项目,为撒哈拉以南非洲的女性企业家提供无息贷款。La organización benéfica creó un programa de microfinanzas que ofrece préstamos sin intereses a mujeres emprendedoras del África subsahariana.その慈善団体は、サハラ以南アフリカの女性起業家に無利子融資を提供するマイクロファイナンスプログラムを設立した。해당 자선단체는 사하라 이남 아프리카의 여성 창업가들에게 무이자 대출을 제공하는 소액금융 프로그램을 설립했다.
- Critics argue that microfinance has been co-opted by commercial lenders charging extortionate rates to vulnerable borrowers. 批评者认为,微型金融已被商业贷款机构所利用,向弱势借款人收取极高的利率。Los críticos sostienen que las microfinanzas han sido cooptadas por prestamistas comerciales que cobran tipos abusivos a prestatarios vulnerables.批判者は、マイクロファイナンスが脆弱な借り手に法外な金利を課す商業貸付業者に乗っ取られていると主張する。비판론자들은 소액금융이 취약한 차입자에게 과도한 이자율을 부과하는 상업 대출업체에 의해 변질되었다고 주장한다.
- The World Bank's latest report highlights microfinance as a key tool for promoting financial inclusion in developing economies. 世界银行最新报告强调,微型金融是促进发展中经济体普惠金融的关键工具。El último informe del Banco Mundial destaca las microfinanzas como un instrumento clave para promover la inclusión financiera en las economías en desarrollo.世界銀行の最新報告書は、マイクロファイナンスを発展途上国における金融包摂促進の重要な手段として位置づけている。세계은행의 최신 보고서는 소액금융을 개발도상국의 금융 포용 촉진을 위한 핵심 수단으로 강조하고 있다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: finance, development, policy
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
A compound of 'micro-' (from Greek mikros, small) and 'finance' (from Old French finer, to end or settle a debt). The term gained widespread use in the 1990s as the microfinance movement expanded globally.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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