Private Enterprise and Financial Markets > Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise
Women?s Entrepreneurship in Latin America: An Exploration of Current Knowledge
By Julie Weeks, Danielle Seiler (10/01, MSM111, En, Es)
There is an increasing interest in entrepreneurship among policy makers, academics and practitioners. This interest comes from the recognition that the creation of new enterprises will increase local capa-bilities to bring economic growth and will help to develop the market economy. Women entrepre-neurs play an increasingly important role in promoting growth and development.
The entrepreneurial skills potential of women is significant because women play a predominant role in microenterprise sector. As half of the adult population, they can consistently contribute to enlarg-ing and enforcing entrepreneurship, by demonstrating their proactive capacities and skills in pursuing their own business ventures.
Several studies have explored the importance of women entrepreneurs in OECD countries, where special programs that target women?s businesses have been implemented. However, in Latin America and the Caribbean there has been limited research of the role played by women entrepreneurs, and few programs to promote them. Indeed, statistical data that capture gender gaps on small businesses and qualitative information on women entrepreneurs are very scarce. However, in recent years, the role of women?s entrepreneurship in social and economic development is beginning to be recognized, calling for increasing attention, particularly in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises.
This report intends to introduce the discussion of gender gaps in entrepreneurship development and to explore possible actions that could effectively foster women?s entrepreneurship. With this purpose in mind, we searched for results of recent fieldwork on women entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean, and found very useful quantitative studies for a limited number of countries that allow us to start the analysis of the existing gender gaps among entrepreneurs. This study focuses on formal women-owned small businesses. In addition to the analysis of gender gaps, we need a broader per-spective of what has been done to try to correct the differences in women?s access to production fac-tors, and learn from the most promising experiences. Because we are just beginning to examine the links between gender inequalities and economic development, the initial important outcomes of the present study are the identification of new issues to be discussed, and recommendations for further action.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Division is at the final stage of a major comparative study on entrepreneurship in four Latin American and four Asian countries, and this report on gender issues complements the major findings on the main factors that influence the creation of new enterprises.
We expect that this report, after providing an analysis on women business owners in Latin America and the Caribbean and raising the key issues, will open a discussion on the topic, and provide inputs for possible strategies, further research, and new projects.
Last updated: 06/13/07
