Micro-credit applications in the struggle against poverty and women employment: Example of Ankara

Micro-credit applications, which were first introduced by Prof. Dr. Muhammed Yunus in Bangladesh in 1976, have provided successful results in the fight against poverty. The implementation spread all over the world in a short time and started to be used as a tool against poverty. Through microcredits, women have also started to take an active role in the economy. Muhammed Yunus, the founder of the microcredit, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the success of the implementations he developed. In this study, the concepts of poverty and microcredit are discussed. The role of microcredits in reducing poverty has been examined. The effects of the micro-credit application in Ankara on women's employment were investigated. For this purpose, demographic data regarding active micro-entrepreneurs obtained from TGMP Ankara Branch and sectoral distribution data of Ankara-based micro-credits obtained from TGMP Headquarters were analyzed. The findings show that the micro-credit system is carried out effectively in Ankara, but the potential micro-entrepreneurs in the surrounding district cannot be reached.