About this episode

The episode discusses the failure of microfinance as a solution to global poverty, highlighting its negative impact in countries like Cambodia.

Microfinance was once hailed as a miracle cure for global poverty, promising to empower the world's most vulnerable with small business loans. But in countries like Cambodia, the industry has devolved into a cycle of predatory debt that is leaving families struggling. WSJ’s Gabriele Steinhauser explains why this once-celebrated solution has failed so many. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - Why Sweden Embraced Capitalism - Is Jane Goodall Fighting a Losing Battle? Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Jessica Mendoza

Topics covered

• microfinance
• global poverty
• predatory debt
• economic empowerment
• financial services

Keywords

• microfinance
• poverty
• debt
• Cambodia
• financial empowerment
• loans
• economic crisis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Wall Street Journal, Spotify Studios

Places: Cambodia

More episodes of The Journal.

• How State Farm's New Contract Sparked an Uproar · July 20, 2026 · 22 min
• How an Influencer Built His Business, One Dog at a Time · July 19, 2026 · 21 min
• The World Cup Story, Part 3: ‘FIFA, What Have You Become?' · July 17, 2026 · 31 min
• To Beat Musk, Bezos Befriended Trump · July 16, 2026 · 20 min
• Apple vs. OpenAI · July 15, 2026 · 18 min
• A Master Conman in His Own Words · July 13, 2026 · 29 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Journal. podcast page.