World Bank‐directed Development? Negotiating Participation in the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project in Laos

The omnipotence of the World Bank on a global scale means that it is often regarded as the most influential partner in bringing about transformations in developing countries. This article contributes to ongoing discussions of this issue by examining some effects of the Bank's participatory agenda in one of its flagship projects, the Nam Theun 2 (NT2) hydropower scheme in Laos. Critical accounts suggest that the Bank's promotion of participation in donor‐dependent countries like Laos is either a guise or an imposition. These propositions are considered in two settings where participation was debated around the time of the Bank's loan appraisal for NT2: first, an international stakeholders’ workshop held in Vientiane; and second, some international attempts to identify the concerns of villagers living near the NT2 dam site. In workshops and villages, participation is a negotiated performance whereby competing representations emerge through the interaction between village, state and international actors. More generally, this article shows that a grounded view of development can attend to the practices that constrain the hegemonic tendencies of the World Bank, even while maintaining awareness of the potency of its policies and interventions.     

The effects of microfinance programs on women members in traditional societies

One of the stated goals of microfinance programs is to increase the bargaining power of women within the household. However, little is known about other ways women in patriarchal communities may be affected by these programs. This study assessed the effects of the membership in a microfinance joint liability group (MJLG) on the lives and social networks of its women members by focusing on the interplay of MJLG practices and gendered cultural practices such as ‘purdah’ (veiling of the face). Using in-depth interviews of 35 women in Lucknow, a city in northern India, the study found that, overall, respondents who were members of an MJLG reported developing new and stronger relationships with other members of the group. These social interactions were found to be deeper among women who were using the microloans for self-employment than among women who were redirecting their loan funds to other family members. The study also found that the adaptability of microfinance organizations to the local culture appeared to enable women to join MJLGs with ease and to contribute economically to their families.