Guérin Isabelle auteur aut IRD Kumar S. auteur aut IRD Agier I. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access In the microfinance industry, empowerment is often described as a means to facilitate female emancipation from male domination. This paper draws on women's testimonies to highlight the fundamental importance of women's relationships with one another in this process. Women continuously negotiate a position between their kinship groups and neighbours, in a context where dependence on men is considered natural. Micro-credit uses are shaped by, and embody, relationships between women, including power relationships. We recommend revising current understandings of female agency to take into account the complex relationship between agency and power and challenge the conventional polarity of power as domination (power over) and power as agency (power to). In many cases, even where there is solidarity between women, women having agency require or imply domination over other women. specialized ACCES AU CREDIT CONDITION FEMININE INDEPENDANCE AUTONOMIE POUVOIR ROLE DES FEMMES PROMOTION FEMININE TRAVAIL DES FEMMES SOCIETE RURALE ENTRAIDE RELATION DE GENRE INTERDEPENDANCE DOMINATION RAPPORTS SOCIAUX BUDGET FAMILIAL MICROFINANCE MICROCREDIT SOLIDARITE ENTREPRENEURIAT INDE TAMIL NADU 095DEVEL 106GESOC2 41 Suppl. 1 S76-S94 2013 1360-0818 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060476 10.1080/13600818.2013.781147 1360-0818 [F B010060476] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060476 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/depot/2013-09-30/010060476.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2013-09-30 2016-12-20 fdi:010060476 fre