This study investigates the impact of microfinance on poverty and socio-economic vulnerability of women and the ability to form social capital through group-based micro loans. The study uses four criteria to examine the impact of microfinance on poverty and vulnerability of women borrowers. The four criteria are, access, creation and control over private resources; freedom of decision making at home; self-confidence on socio-economic activities; and status in community and family. The study assumes that if these four variables have positively affected a woman, then she is empowered by microfinance received. The study uses three logistic regression models and a women's empowerment index to analyse women's empowerment. The logistic results revealed that the household income level before taking microcredit, age of the household head and market availability for products have been significant in affecting women's empowerment and reducing vulnerability. The disaggregated and overall Women Empowerment Indices (WEIs) clearly illustrate a considerable development after joining the microfinance institutions (MFIs). The analysis found that if the woman owned the loan and acted as a conduit of credit, it had a positive and significant impact on her ability to make decisions at home.

This paper investigates, through a gender lens, how budgets are conceived, planned, approved, executed, monitored, analyzed and audited. It involves an analysis of government expenditure on women as compared to expenditure on men. The methodology was designed to analyze the budgets of two Provincial Councils and selected budgets of 11 Ministries with 6 Ministries in more detail at a national level to understand how budget allocations prioritize the needs of women. As monitoring of the impact of financial policies on women is more complex, the study was re-focused to include selected Districts level budgets and the involvement of Civil Society Organizations. The analysis of financial policies and budgets shows that it is a complex process due to lack of clarity in how budgets are allocated and there was no reliable information generated, and the funding system itself is a challenge for tracking as the provincial councils, ministries and other agencies through which state services are delivered received funds from the state sources and donors which leave many gaps in data. Generally, Sri Lanka’s budgeting process and outcome monitoring was gender neutral. Impact monitoring in health and education is the strongest as gender disaggregated data and considerable attention has been paid in bridging the gender gaps but not in all other sectors. Also, the study found that there were significant disparities in how women access and benefited from economic development especially because of their triple roles of production, reproduction and social. It was found that there is no consistent analysis of how government budgets are gender responsive or accountable. Therefore, a more comprehensive study of the impact of budgetary and social protection policy and practice on the women members is required.

Not only there is a close relationship between poverty and agriculture productivity but also agriculture is considered as a significant means of plummeting poverty in the long-term and in the shortterm. While agriculture may not be central as the driver of economic growth in current global neo-liberal economic context it is generally accepted that the food security and livelihood development aspects for all still warrants developing agriculture, a situation that holds true for Sri Lanka too. Productivity in agriculture is determined by conditions in both the natural, socioeconomic and community factors. The productivity in the country’s agriculture sector is rooted in the farming system, namely, the farm and the farmer/farm operator. These two units are in an interacting whole which makes property of one a quality of another. Small plot size, the existing tenure system, low levels of education and skills of farm operators and behavior of two patrons (government and traders) in the sector are the major backward determinants affecting to place in the farmer into a vicious cycle of poverty. This background does not help to generate a dynamic, risk bearing and enterprising farmers for the economy and this leads to low productivity and then the continuation of poverty of farmers. The lack of attentiveness of overall situation and lack of holistic approach to problems providing appropriate solutions to individuals are constraints in agriculture development. Solution is the hallmark of policies and interventions in agriculture. Present focus is also on subsistence-based model and the approach is piecemeal.

The objective of this paper is to assess the capability of microfinance as a tool of reconciliation through economic activity generation and empowerment in the conflict-affected communities in the Northern and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka. The principal data collection tools for this study were Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews. The impact of microfinance engagement is in varying degrees with certain areas and groups showing evidence of receiving more beneficial impacts compared to others. It also showed very high involvement of women and those women who are active namely, those from groups above the very poor and those who have comparatively better educational levels. We found that microfinance intervention has both tangible and also created other intangible benefits on clients. The post-conflict Northeastern region is not a monolithic entity and there are a number of diverse groups of potential beneficiaries with different needs, skills, capacities and opportunities. Therefore, microfinance initiatives need to consider these situations and develop their interventions accordingly.