Unintended consequences : linking microfinance and dowries

![CDATA[Quality of life is a pillar of social marketing – including the economic, social and personal well-being of individuals. This paper presents a case study of how quality of life is being eroded by microloans that are increasingly used to make dowry payments. This disrupts fragile social systems and worsens the position of women in poor communities eroding their status and economic opportunities. A longitudinal, ethnographic study explores the traditional practice of dowries in rural Bangladesh and how it is evolving. Our findings illustrate that proliferation of microloans is exacerbating the size of dowry payments, leading to increased pressure on rural families who take sizable microloans to pay dowries. This in turn negatively affects their quality of life and also increases the vulnerability of women. The paper concludes with consideration of policy solutions to address this ecology of issues.]]