Access to finance – mind the gender gap

By Hanan Morsy

This paper looks at the impediments women face, compared with men, when trying to access finance. It pays particular attention to the structure of the banking system and women’s socio-economic participation. Our results suggest that women are more likely to be excluded from the formal financial sector in countries where laws and norms discriminate against women, where women have a lower participation in the labour market, and where state-owned banks have a big share in the banking system.