Shafeen Mustaq’s Book on Microcredit
Shafeen Mustaq, a young write from Sydney, has published her first book titled, “Financial Empowerment Of Women In Bangladesh Through Microcredit” (ISBN 9780646 550367). It was published by Moyukh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
This book is a revised version of her Thesis. It was graded First Class First and topped the Humanities Honours Faculty for 2009 at Monash University. It also won an award from the Vice Chancellor of the university as well as a cash prize.
Abstract
This book investigates the impact of microcredit, through the lending practices of Grameen Bank and others, on the empowerment of rural Bangladeshi women. The research explores how microcredit affects female borrowers and pervades social norms to have implications on social position and self worth. Women have traditionally been the object of orthodox ideas of representation and absorbed these into their habitus. Bangladeshi women who are traditionally brought up with conventional religious, gender and class instruction develop ingrained ideas of how to be conservative and religious in order to be socially acceptable. Through the injection of micro-credit and income generation, this condition is changed through a process of adapting to a new role in an old field. Microcredit has provided village women in Bangladesh the opportunity to gain communication and interpersonal skills, independence and a position of authority within the family environment. It has motivated them to grow and develop skills which allow them to proceed onto skilled labour and open up new avenues of opportunity.
About the Author
Shafeen Mustaq was born in Dhaka Bangladesh and immigrated to Sydney with her family aged five. She grew up with a penchant for writing and awareness of women’s issues and empowerment. Shafeen is currently an information consultant working in Knowledge and Research at Deloitte. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Technology Sydney and majored in Knowledge Management. Her passion and interest in Women’s empowerment, education and social justice led her to complete her Honours in Communication from Monash University Melbourne where this dissertation was submitted as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Arts on 23rd October 2009. Shafeen has been living in her current hometown of Sydney
for twenty years. She is a freelance journalist for Indian Link Magazine and Bangla-Sydney.com and publishes her work on her blog www.shifs.wordpress.com. Shafeen is also working on a historical fiction novel set in pre-independence Bangladesh and a series of short stories which provide an insightful look into Bengali life and culture.
Inspiration
I was inspired to write this book as a result of Professor Mohammed Yunus winning the Nobel Peace prize in 2006 and through the continued efforts of Grameen Bank and NGOs in Bangladesh to make a lasting difference to the lives of women living in Poverty. This book is a testament to the hard work and determination of women who engage with microcredit to lift their families out of poverty. I am proud to be a Bangladeshi women and honoured to be able to share their stories with a global audience.
Availability
Copies can be purchased directly from the author at $15 apiece in April. Early orders can be placed via e-mail. Contact shafeen_mustaq@hotmail.com
