Impact study of microcredit on women’s empowerment: the mediating effect of capabilities; the case of the Souss-Massa region;

Abstract

The main objective of our research is to examine the indirect relationship between access to
microcredit and women’s empowerment, via the mediating variable of ‘capabilities’, in the
specific context of the Souss Massa region.
From a theoretical perspective, and in order to carry out our work, we have drawn upon the
capabilities approach initiated by Amartya Sen (1980) and developed by Martha Nussbaum
(2000).
With regard to the methodology employed and data collection, we utilized a quantitative
analysis conducted on a sample of 393 women who are beneficiaries of the services provided
by the four microcredit associations operating in the Souss-Massa. For data analysis, we opted
for modelling using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via the
SmartPLS4 software.
The results of our study reveal that microcredit has a positive influence on the economic
empowerment of women.