Microfinance and Women’s Entrepreneurship: Driving Economic Growth in Developing Countries

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the challenges women entrepreneurs face in accessing microloans and document the obstacles encountered by Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) when providing capital to social enterprises, particularly those led by women in developing economies. The study analyzes secondary data from various case studies, review relevant literature from academic journals focused on developing countries. Women entrepreneurs face several challenges in accessing microfinance, including lack of collateral, gender bias in loan approvals, and financial literacy gaps. High interest rates, operational costs, and regulatory hurdles further limit their access to funding. Many struggles with limited mentorship, business support services, and difficulties in building credit history. Rural women face additional barriers like low repayment capacity, poor digital literacy, and inadequate technological infrastructure. Societal norms, bureaucratic delays, and inconsistent government policies also hinder their financial inclusion and business growth. The findings helped to understand the social impact MFIs have created in recent years to improve the lives of marginalized communities and develop a policy framework to enhance the future impact of microfinance in women empowerment in developing countries. A significant gap exists in accessing microfinance between men and women entrepreneurs. Microfinancing has helped alleviate poverty, promote financial independence, and improve quality of life for millions in developing countries. Working in collaboration with various stakeholders such as governments, other organizations and individuals, social enterprise strives to create a social impact by empowering marginalized people and underserved communities to improve their lives. Microfinance includes providing access to capital, micro loans, and other business development services such as training and mentoring to social entrepreneurs. By providing innovative solutions of providing financial services to those who lack access to conventional banking services, microfinance integrates well into social enterprise.