Lone Singh

For generations, women faced financial barriers so high, they might as well have been guarded by dragons in ties. Traditional lenders in their wisdom, decided women without collateral were invisible applicants.


And when these women needed money?
Oh, they had an option—the Sahukar.
You know, the friendly neighborhood moneylender who charged interest so high, you’d think he was secretly funding his own private island!

No one—absolutely no one—stood up for rural women. It was a financial boy’s club where the rich got richer.

Then, like a plot twist in a daily soap, Microfinance Institutions(MFIs) arrived. And guess what? They actually trusted women.
No collateral? No problem.
They provided small loans to women wanting to start businesses.

The result?
Pure magic!!!

Women who once hesitated to ask for money for a saree are now entrepreneurs—running tailoring shops, dairy farms, and grocery stores. But is it just about money? Or proving that women are more than aloo puri and a tidy home? (Which, let’s admit, are superpowers too!)

This isn’t lip service—it’s real empowerment.

Financial independence isn’t just earning, it’s confidence, self-worth and self-respect. Society often misses this shift, but ask any woman who got a MFI loan—it’s not just about money, it’s about empowerment.

Picture a rural woman.
Does she splurge on luxury? No.
She flips the script, builds a business, and improves her family’s lives.
Because guess what?
Women aren’t delicate glass—they’re tempered steel.

For years, MFIs have been the financial equivalent of that “determined daughter-in-law”—the one the family calls too outspoken but who actually benefits everyone.

Yet, some still see MFIs as villains. Why? Are we afraid of empowered women? Critics argue they charge high interest and create debt traps, but let’s see the bigger picture—unlike traditional lenders, MFIs take the risk.

They offer structured repayment plans, financial literacy programs, and support—something Sahukars never did. Women once shut out of finance now access credit, yet some still see the glass as half-empty.

Would they rather return to an era where a woman’s only option was a Sahukar and a never-ending debt cycle?

Without access to funds and MFIs, millions of women would still be trapped in financial dependency. Women’s empowerment would just be a slogan.

Should we keep criticizing institutions driving change or finally acknowledge them as true enablers of financial independence?

A woman who stands on her own feet isn’t just empowered—she’s an asset.

While the world debates, MFIs continue transforming lives. It’s time to stop demonizing institutions enabling financial freedom and start recognizing the silent revolution happening in villages and small towns.

For thousands of women in India, MFIs aren’t villains—they’re lifelines.

And let’s be real—sometimes, you just need a lifeline that doesn’t judge your credit score or your questionable taste in sports teams.

Happy Women’s Day!!!

.Lone Singh.