Proposed Indicators for Measuring the Contribution of the Mutual Subsystem with the Objectives of the Financial Sector in Ecuador

Abstract

The debate on Social and Solidarity Economy has been paid increasing attention in Latin America; however, even though several countries have included reforms to their legal framework and have directed their public policies to achieving a greater acknowledgement of this economy; these changes alone do not guarantee success. Only the micro social stakeholders willing to reshape their actions can mobilize people and resources to build the social economy. The most common conceptualizations recognize cooperatives, mutual endeavors and associations as the representative economic units of this economy. The latter are the least studied ones, often remaining unnoticed within traditional expressions of social and solidarity economy. The authors of this study propose indicators to measure how Ecuadorian mutual endeavors specialized in housing mortgage loans contribute to strengthen the people and solidary financial system in the country.