Exploring the complexity of microfinance and HIV in fishing communities on the shores of Lake Malawi

MacPherson, Eleanor; Sadalaki, John; Nyongopa, Victoria; Nkhwazi, Lawrence; Phiri, Mackwellings; Chimphonda, Alinafe; Desmond, Nicola; Mwapasa, Victor; Lalloo, David G; Seeley, Janet; +1 more... Theobald, Sally; (2015) Exploring the complexity of microfinance and HIV in fishing communities on the shores of Lake Malawi. Review of African political economy, 42 (145). pp. 414-436. ISSN 0305-6244 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03056244.2015.1064369

Abstract

This study utilised qualitative research methodology to explore female fish traders’ experiences of accessing microfinance in fishing communities in southern Malawi. Microfinance is a tool that has been used to alleviate poverty. People living in fishing communities in the Global South are at an increased risk of HIV and, equally, microfinance has been identified as a tool to prevent HIV. The authors' research found consistent testimonies of overly short microfinance loan-repayment periods, enforced by the threat of property confiscation. These threats, coupled with gendered power dynamics and the unpredictability of fish catches, left some female fish traders vulnerable to HIV.