Search

Begin New Search Topic Entrepreneurship Publishing Institution IEMed/EuroMeSCo

1. Financial Inclusion and Hurdles to Funding Tunisian Female Entrepreneurs

Author:
Philippe Adair and Imène Berguiga
Publication Date:
02-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
IEMed/EuroMeSCo
Abstract:
This paper addresses gender self-selection amongst Tunisian women entrepreneurs in the context of financial inclusion of Tunisian women in the economy. Women entrepreneurs do not apply for loans despite the need for them, and some of them are denied loans despite the fact that their male counterparts do receive them. Availability and equality of opportunities to access financial services is essential for both an inclusive society and a healthy economy, and current financial inclusion policies in Tunisia do not preclude gender-based self-selection, which is an impediment to the socioeconomic empowerment and business development of Tunisian women. Imène Berguiga and Philippe Adair used an inventory of Tunisian data sources, with respect to coverage and gender, tackling the supply side of financial institutions as well as the demand side from both enterprises and households. A sequential model (decision tree) includes descriptive statistics prior to and during the COVID-19 shock. The paper addresses the need to a key vector for supporting financial inclusion in a sustainable way, by both spreading the use of financial technologies (fintech) and promoting the role of Tunisian microfinance institutions (MFIs).
Topic:
Women, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Inclusion
Political Geography:
North Africa and Tunisia

2. The Role of Egyptian Female Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era post-COVID-19

Author:
Doaa Salman Abdou
Publication Date:
04-2022
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
IEMed/EuroMeSCo
Abstract:
The current “cloud revolution” accelerates the digitalisation of economies as it expands business opportunities, thus boosting the economy and enhancing business activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital economy countries had the opportunity to sustain many activities remotely, while many developing countries fell into poverty and were forced to face a surge of unemployment. There were more unemployed females than males, and the female participation rate was lower than for males. Digitalisation can accelerate female entrepreneurs’ participation in the labour market and allow them to increase their productivity growth. It can therefore help increase their standard of living, decreasing poverty and creating economic stability (Van Praag & Versloot, 2007). COVID-19 challenges the dreams of many entrepreneurs across the globe to sustain their business using technology but even more so in developing countries as their access to technology is lower than in developed countries because it is not affordable and in some rural areas not available. In this context, not all countries have been affected in the same way. As a result of the epidemic, women’s employment decreased the most throughout the Americas (a reduction of 9.4%). The Arab States saw the second-largest drop in the number of employed women, with women’s employment falling by 4.1% and men’s by 1.8% between 2019 and 2020 (ILO, 2021). The pandemic widens the gender gap rather than closing it. Such a shock urges a reduction of the digital divide, as it is considered a necessary tool and not a luxury. Such a tool can keep businesses going and help them recover after the global shock, especially for women who had to stay at home with their children. Women, youths and people with medium and low skills experienced a decline in employment worldwide in 2020. Female workers were disproportionately affected compared to male workers, with unemployment accounting for 38.9% of total employment before the COVID-19 crisis but rising to 47.6% of the total workforce (ILO, 2020). The lockdown due to the pandemic pushed women to learn how to benefit from digitalisation as it has a direct link to both poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment, especially in developing countries, where it plays a significant role in gender equality and economic development.
Topic:
Entrepreneurship, Feminism, Pandemic, COVID-19, Digitalization, and Gender
Political Geography:
Africa and Egypt