An Analysis of Microfinance in Bangladesh: An Interview with Lamia Karim

This week's podcast interview at Diplomacy and Power features Dr. Lamia Karim, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oregon who discusses her research on microfinance in Bangladesh.

Microfinance has been a heavily touted strategy to alleviate poverty in developing countries by the UN and World Bank. In this podcast, Dr. Lamia Karim of the University of Oregon shares her research on the real-life impact and spiriling debt consequences of microfinance for women in Bangladesh. Her research on the Grameen Bank and other NGOs reveals many of the unintended consequences of microfinance driven development strategies and offers the means by which policy makers can design better anti-poverty programs. Dr. Karim’s forthcoming book is entitled “Microfinance and Its Discontents: NGOs and Gender in Bangladesh,” and is being published through the University of California Press in Fall 20 09.