Background

WFI is expanding its collaboration with Pro Mujer, an organization that focuses on providing financial inclusion, health and education programs to help increase financial access for women entrepreneurs in the missing middle in Latin America. The missing middle is a global challenge for small and growing businesses (SGBs) that are too big for microfinance and informal local investors, and too small or too risky for banks, private equity firms, development finance institutions and other direct investors, which are usually focused on financing later stage and larger companies. A research team from Tec de Monterrey will review and analyze the deals in the region and disaggregate the information by gender, to better understand the gaps and needs for women entrepreneurs.
 

• In Latin America, SGBs play a fundamental economic role, although their financial needs are rarely met. They create 67% of the jobs but only receive 12% of the capital (WEF, 2021).

• Latin America is the region with the largest percentage of women entrepreneurs in the world (GEM, 2020).​

 

Deliverables & Impact

Key recommendations from the Tec de Monterrey team to close the financing gap for women entrepreneurs in the region will be published and with these results, Pro Mujer will be able to integrate all the findings in order to create and adapt programs for the specific needs of women entrepreneurs in Latin America.