the primary goal of this and other similar programs is the eradication of poverty. However, as poverty has decreased, there have been some surprising secondary effects of microlending programs. Perhaps the main subsidiary effect has been a change in the social status of women. Traditionally, in some societies, people thought of women as worthless. But when a woman has access to money and is able to demonstrate her capacity for business, she often receives more respect than before from the male members of her family and from the entire village.