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Bank credit, microfinance and female ownership: Are women more disadvantaged than men?

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  • Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa
  • Thrikawala, Sujani

Abstract

Using a comprehensive dataset on unlisted firms in 22 developing countries this paper analyses the relationship between gender, microfinance and access to bank credit. Using heckprobit to control sample selection bias, we reveal evidence of discrimination against female-owned and female-led firms. Also, we find that a mechanism for microfinance to empower women is facilitating loan applications and loan approvals for female-owned firms. Our paper highlights the importance of addressing gender discrimination in the credit market in order to facilitate the development of female-owned firms.

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  • Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa & Thrikawala, Sujani, 2021. "Bank credit, microfinance and female ownership: Are women more disadvantaged than men?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:42:y:2021:i:c:s1544612321000106
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2021.101929
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Dengjun & Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa & Fernandez, Viviana, 2022. "Environmental assurance, gender, and access to finance: Evidence from SMEs," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Perrin, Caroline & Weill, Laurent, 2022. "No man, No cry? Gender equality in access to credit and financial stability," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    3. Emanuel-Correia, Ricardo & Duarte, Fábio & Gama, Ana Paula Matias & Augusto, Mário, 2022. "Does peer-to-peer crowdfunding boost refugee entrepreneurs?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PA).
    4. Amon Simba & Mahdi Tajeddin & Léo-Paul Dana & Domingo E. Ribeiro Soriano, 2024. "Deconstructing involuntary financial exclusion: a focus on African SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 285-305, January.
    5. Radeef Chundakkadan & Subash Sasidharan, 2022. "Gender gap and access to finance: A cross‐country analysis," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 180-207, February.
    6. Reddy, Ketan & Gopalan, Sasidaran, 2023. "Gender bias in access to trade credit: Firm-level evidence from emerging markets," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    7. Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa & Thrikawala, Sujani & Ghardallou, Wafa, 2022. "Political connections, family ownership and access to bank credit," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    8. Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa & Kumar, Vijay & Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Al-Faryan, Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh, 2022. "Environmental performance and firm financing during COVID-19 outbreaks: Evidence from SMEs," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    9. Wellalage, Nirosha & Reddy, Krishna & Wallace, Damien, 2023. "Environmental performance and the role of government support: Evidence from the recent COVID-19 pandemic," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PA).
    10. Nirosha Hewa Wellalage & Vijay Kumar, 2021. "Environmental performance and bank lending: Evidence from unlisted firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3309-3329, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Female Ownership; Bank Credit; Unlisted firms; Heckprobit; Developing countries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G29 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Other
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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