ENTERPRENEURSHIP, EMPOWERMENT AND THE IMPACT OF THE DIMENSION OF FEMALE IDENTITY ON THE WOMEN INVOLVED IN MICROCREDIT FINANCING SCHEMES: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION IN IZMIR METROPOLITAN REGION

Abstract

This study fundamentally aims to problematize the very nature of changes on the Turkish women, particularly, in regard to their women identity from a perspective of empowerment in the aftermath of their involvement in the microcredit projects carried out in Western Turkey, namely, the western metropolitan center, Izmir. In order to be able to realize the given objective, the work shall present the quantative and qualitative findings of an empirical work of questionnaires and one to one interviews with 300 women with previous experience and involvement in microcredit financing schemes and projects facilitated through the governorship of Izmir and with the aid of a wide variety of nongovernmental organization within the metropolitan Izmir region. The empirical findings of the study shall also be supported with a qualitative analysis of the women’s anecdotal stories in relation what micro financing credit schemes have brought about to their female identity along with other changes. Whilst carrying out the tasks, the empirical means have attempted to reveal information first on demographical and sociological background of the women involved in the sampling, subsequently in the second part, the dimensions related to the their women identity and its very relationship with the microcredit financing schemes. The third dimension of the empirical dimension has been to elaborate the factors that led these women to the entrepreneurship facilitated via microcredit financing schemes coupled with the lateral stages pursuing to shed light on how Turkish women perceive factors like risk and self perception and in what ways they come to deal with their environment. In the light of the empirical work carried out in metropolitan Izmir Region, the study shall italicize that women involvement in micro credit financing schemes brings about a strong consciousness about their female identity within a stronger sense of self perception, self confidence and cooperation with their female counterparts to solve their problems

Keywords

• micro credit financing, empowerment, female identity, NGO, Izmir metropolitan region

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