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Closing the Gender Profit Gap

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  • Sequeira, Sandra
  • Vicente, Pedro
  • Batista, Catia

Abstract

We examine the complementarity between access to mobile savings accounts and improved financial management skills on the performance of female-led micro-enterprises in Mozambique. This combined support is associated with a large increase in both short and long-term firm profits and in financial security, when compared to the independent effect of each of these interventions. This support allowed female-headed micro-enterprises to close the gender gap in performance and financial literacy relative to their male counterparts. The main drivers of improved business performance are increased financial management practices (bookkeeping), an increase in accessible savings and reduced transfers to friends and relatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Sequeira, Sandra & Vicente, Pedro & Batista, Catia, 2021. "Closing the Gender Profit Gap," CEPR Discussion Papers 15916, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15916
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    Cited by:

    1. Catia Batista & Pedro C. Vicente, 2018. "Is mobile money changing rural Africa? Evidence from a field experiment," NOVAFRICA Working Paper Series wp1805, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics, NOVAFRICA.
    2. Alex Armand & Mattia Fracchia & Pedro C. Vicente, 2024. "Let's call! Using the phone to increase vaccine acceptance," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 82-106, January.
    3. Alex Armand & Mattia Fracchia & Pedro C. Vicente, 2021. "Let’s call! Using the phone to increase acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines," NOVAFRICA Working Paper Series wp2113, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics, NOVAFRICA.
    4. Ira N. Gang & Rajesh Raj Natarajan & Kunal Sen & Myeong-Su Yun, 2021. "The gender productivity gap: Evidence from the Indian informal sector," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-183, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • G53 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Financial Literacy
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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