Household Matters: Revisiting the Returns to Capital among Female Micro-entrepreneurs

Uses data from trials to show that the gender gap in microenterprise performance is not due to a gap in aptitude

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
10 November 2017
Country:
Ghana, India and Sri Lanka
Document Type:
Working Paper
Theme:
Economic Growth
First published:
1 August 2017
Authors:
Field, E, Pamde, R and Rigol, N

Abstract

Several field experiments find positive returns to grants for male and not female micro-entrepreneurs. But these analyses overlook that female entrepreneurs often reside with a male business owner. Using data from randomized trials in India, SriLanka and Ghana, Bernhardt, Field, Pande, and Rigol (2017) show that the gender gap in microenterprise performance is not due to a gap in aptitude. Instead, low average returns of female-run enterprises reflects the fact that women바카라 사이트™s capital is typically invested into their husband바카라 사이트™s enterprise. Household-level income gains are equivalent regardless of the grant or loan recipient바카라 사이트™s gender.

This research was funded under the Private Enterprise Development in Low Income Countries (PEDL) Programme

Citation

Field, E., Pamde, R., Rigol, N. Household Matters: Returns to Capital among Female Microentrepreneurs. (2017) 20pp

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Published 10 November 2017
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