It was pleasing to read about Saima’s success in micro-finance
and the fact that she could proudly support her family. However it was
upsetting to read that her husband suddenly became submissive once Saima
started making money and suddenly changed his mind about the importance of
women because of money. Aren’t being a loving and caring mother and wife enough
to earn respect? It was revolting that in the eyes of Saima’s mother-in-law
Saima was worthless but then as she earned money she was, “an exemplary
daughter-in-law.” It was particularly sad to me when Saima said, “We have a good relationship now” because it
showed that Saima was willing to forget about the previous judgments to be seen
as a respectable woman. I think we all know that the husband’s change of mind
is superficial and solely influence by the amount of money Saima is earning.
I think that making women and girls the focus of antipoverty
programs is extremely important because as the chapter states, “females tend to
suffer the most from poverty.” I would like to see women in discriminated
areas of the world become more independent and successful so to escape the tyrannical
rule of men. It is also clear after reading this chapter that men in these
areas need to be educated about the importance of sensible spending of the family’s
finances. I was surprised to read about the studies which indicate only 2
percent of the family income goes towards education.
I come from a family shaped by strong independent women as
well as compassionate and unselfish men. It is difficult to put these readings
into context because here in the U.S. men and women have so many choices. If we
do not like the way something is going we simply standup and demand change or
create change for ourselves. My Americanized beliefs lead me to the question; Is
it a good idea to barrow money at 20-30 percent rate to try and make money? Nicholas
Kristof said that Saima’s success was unusual and research in the U.S. shows that
new businesses have less than a 50% chance of surviving. When these odds are
compared to a study done by UCLA on the odds of winning in Las Vegas it is
clear that there isn’t much difference in the likelihood to make money. I
support the idea of micro-finance in impoverished countries however I do not
support gambling and in a way that’s what it comes down to when you barrow
money to make money. If the money invested in entrepreneurship is money that
was either saved or donated and not barrowed then I think it is maybe worth
the risk. However if money is barrowed at a high interest rate to try and better
the families’ financial situation and it fails I think it would make families’
(particularly the women’s) situation at home even worse.
Micro-financing is a great way to empower women and help
them feel the importance of respect and independence. Ultimately it can lead to
women taking part in leadership roles, not only in domesticity but also in governmental
roles as well and ss equally important, is that women entrepreneurs will educate men of
the importance of gender equality.
Websites that quantify the risk of starting a business and
the odds of winning in Las Vegas.
http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/mult_pkg/faq/general/lasvegas.htm
http://www.businessinsider.com/startup-odds-of-success-2013-5
http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/mult_pkg/faq/general/lasvegas.htm
http://www.businessinsider.com/startup-odds-of-success-2013-5
I both agree and disagree with your statements about Saima's husband. As I read the chapter, I too was appalled at the treatment of Saima by her husband and mother-in-law. Like you, I was skeptical about the husband's sudden change in attitude and Saima's statement that their relationship was good after she began to make money. However, we have to consider the culture that Saima and her husband were raised in. They were raised in a male-dominate culture that stressed the roles of men and women from a young age. Women, according to their upbringing, are supposed to be submissive to their husbands and it is considered the husbands right and duty to beat his wife for insubordination. Now, I am sure that we all reject this viewpoint because we have been raised in a completely different culture, but we have to put ourselves in Saima's husbands shoes a bit here. If he was raised to think and act a certain way, he truly may not have known better (we got a glimpse at what his mother is like, imagine being raised by someone like that) and believed that what he was doing was morally sound. After Saima started her business and began to make money for her family, it is possible that her husband truly did begin to change the way he viewed her. Of course, the fact that the family was out of debt would play a big role in his change of attitude, but I think it was more then that. I believe, I hope, that her husband was made to realize that women are intelligent, independent, and capable human beings just as men are, and that he was humbled to witness his wife's true potential. Saima and others like her are doing more then just appeasing their husbands with the money they earn, they are (hopefully) changing the way their husbands see women.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right Maggie, I should not have said that we all know why the husband changed his mind. The notion that he did it for selfish reasons is solely my opinion. I appreciate your optimistic view, thank you for helping me see it differently.
DeleteThank you Roger! I was honestly in total agreeance with you while I was reading, but as I thought about it more I started to realize there could be a happier side to his attitude change, a girl can hope, right? :)
DeleteI agree with what you said, Maggie. I, too, gathered what had happened and jumped to the conclusion that Saima's husband had changed just because she was bringing money home to the family. Although it's not fully stated why Saima's husband mind has changed, it's easy to quickly assume something that we may see (or read). I like the way Maggie had put the perspective into Saima's husbands shoes. It's true that when we are brought up to believe something or act a certain way, we are directed to leave that is the right and only way. I really believe that education would be a huge help to men in these countries to really see the true value in women; to not think that they are worthless or have no purpose if they aren't bringing money in the family. I love the point you made, Roger, about how being a loving and caring wife and mother should be enough for a man. Men in these countries need to know that, and I think women even need confirmation on that so they're not feeling worthless themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think micro-finance is beneficial to both men and women. I have always been raised to believe that the money between a family is approached as a team. That both the husband and wife make sure they are on the same page about what is a priority to spend money on, and what is not. I don't think that the men should be off gambling or using money for other unnecessary needs when there are more important things like education. I agree with you when you said that micro-finacning would help improve and advance a woman's life.
As I read this chapter and I read your post I agree with your comment about how Saima was willing to forget about the previous judgements her husband had towards her as his wife and a woman not bearing males. I feel like Saima was quickly forgiving because her husband has to obey her and taking orders from a woman. This is very rare in many cultures for a man to take orders from a woman. I feel like she quickly forgave him because he has no choice but to be Submissive as well as his mother, Sharifa. Personally, I do not think it is a good idea to borrow money with a 20-30% interest rate to try to make money. I feel like when you start a business you should seek ways of fundraising and grants. Also, know your target customers and there could be a better chance in survival of any business you create. There was a flaw in Roshaneh and Sadaffe process when they first started their business. They had no knowledge of the poverty they were trying to defeat. I think that it is VERY important to be aware of the area you are starting your business and know the purpose it will serve in the area it is placed in.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is sad to see the shifting opinions of those who originally looked down on Saima. However, this further supports the idea that microfinancing can result in a cultural shift in opinions about women. Saima's husband's perspective of his wife changed when he realized she had more to contribute than what he had assumed. I also really appreciate the many comments supporting any woman who works in the home to raise children and take care of the home. Women who do not work outside of the home should not be considered less than those women who do earn money outside of the home. I agree that its a shame that Saima's husband could not appreciate her efforts before she had money. But sometimes it takes something like money to make men in this culture realize women are contributing in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteI loved how Saima found a solution for the financial problem her family was having. However I was disappointed on how her family treated her. Even before she was getting all of the money she was trying her best. She even sent her older child away so that her daughter could have a better life. Than when she was stable she bought her child back. Both her mother and her husband were asking as if money was the only thing that matters in the world. I think they should have had a different mindset but I can’t change that. But on a positive note her children all got a great education and she took her husband’s debt away. But what I was wondering if he will get a larger debt now since Saima has all this money. What do you guys think?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately Janice I think you are right. From my own experiences in life I found that some people are good at managing money and some are not. I believe that her husband will adjust his unscrupulous spending habits to the families' higher income and they will once again be in debt. I know that is extremely negative but sociological studies indicate that people tend to stay on a path that is familiar even if that path is destructive.
ReplyDeleteWilber E. Moore. Order and Change; Essays in Comparative Sociology. New York (1967).
I never heard of micro-financing until this chapter and the additional readings for this week. I really like the concept of micro-financing and how it has been used to empower women. I like the concept in general and can see how something like this can start small and turn into something much larger and benefit so many people. All you need if one person and a small amount of money to change your community. Even though your comment about Siam's husband was your opinion, I agree with that opinion and think the same thing. That the worth of his wife changed as her financial worth did.
ReplyDeleteI think Roger makes some interesting points here about the high interest rate of micro-loans. Becoming an entrepreneur is a risk, no matter if you start with a lot of money or very little. Borrowing money is a serious endeavor as well and not one to be taken lightly. What perhaps didn't come across as well in the book/module (and we'll talk more about this in class), is that often these women are part of "trust groups" to help them with their accountability with the loan. Often, many women will meet together to make their loan payments, helping each other when one can't make the payment. They'll also discuss business strategies, budgeting, etc. to help give each other the knowledge they need to be successful. When someone can't pay back their loan, yes, the group helps, but not without consequence. These women are no longer able to continue to borrow. Those that are able to make on-time payments are able to borrow more next time. So, the risk is still there as with any business loan and one must decide whether it is worth it to take that risk. However, there are often systems in place to help deflect the risk a bit for these women.
ReplyDeleteThe book states that females suffer most from poverty, I believe this is slightly one sided (as men often suffer as well or with the women in their family). It is shocking that men in some cultures are still more dominant, this has been what they have been taught for generations and will be a hard cycle to break. I believe the key to equality between women and men in areas such as these starts with the children. In order to change this a new generation must pass on more open family views. It’s not surprising to me that men in these areas don’t put much money into education. In these areas living and getting by is more important, it’s unfortunate but a common problem in poverty stricken areas. Microfinance may make education a more attainable goal for women, men and children in the future.
ReplyDelete