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International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology

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A STUDY ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP FINANCING THROUGH MICROFINANCE AND BANKS

AUTHORS:
Kanchan Dhawan
Mentor
Dr. Varsha Gupta
Affiliation
Department of Business Administration, Quantum University, Roorkee
CC BY 4.0 License:
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Women entrepreneurship has emerged as a critical driver of economic development, poverty reduction, and social transformation across both developed and developing economies. Despite their growing presence in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, women entrepreneurs continue to face substantial barriers in accessing formal financial resources. This study examines the role of microfinance institutions and commercial banks in financing women-owned enterprises, with a particular focus on accessibility, affordability, and effectiveness of financial products designed for women. Drawing on secondary data from global and regional financial reports, academic journals, and institutional databases, the study evaluates the comparative advantages of microfinance and traditional banking channels in meeting the financial needs of women entrepreneurs. The findings reveal that while microfinance has significantly enhanced financial inclusion among low-income women entrepreneurs, commercial banks remain inaccessible to many due to collateral requirements, documentation barriers, and gender biases. The paper highlights the need for gender-responsive financial policies, capacity-building programmes, and institutional reforms to bridge the financing gap. Recommendations are offered for policymakers, financial institutions, and development agencies to foster an enabling environment for women entrepreneurship.
Keywords
Women Entrepreneurship Microfinance Bank Financing Financial Inclusion Gender Gap in Finance Access to Credit Small Business Development
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Dhawan, K. (2026). A Study on Women Entrepreneurship Financing through Microfinance and Banks. International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, 02(6). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i6.070

Dhawan, Kanchan. "A Study on Women Entrepreneurship Financing through Microfinance and Banks." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, vol. 02, no. 6, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i6.070.

Dhawan, Kanchan. "A Study on Women Entrepreneurship Financing through Microfinance and Banks." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology 02, no. 6 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i6.070.

References

  1. Aghion, P., & Morduch, J. (2020). The economics of microfinance (3rd ed.). MIT Press.

  2. Asian Development Bank. (2022). Empowering women through financial inclusion in Asia. ADB Publications.

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  4. Bruhn, M., & Love, I. (2021). The real impact of improved access to finance. Journal of Finance, 69(3), 1347–1376.

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  6. CGAP. (2022). Microfinance global outreach and performance. Consultative Group to Assist the Poor.

  7. Coleman, S., & Robb, A. (2021). Access to capital by high-growth women-owned businesses. Kauffman Foundation.

  8. Demirguc-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., & Ansar, S. (2022). The Global Findex Database 2022. World Bank.

  9. Dupas, P., & Robinson, J. (2021). Savings constraints and microenterprise development. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 5(1), 163–192.

  10. Hashim, N., Ahmad, N., & Malik, R. (2023). Digital financial services and women entrepreneurship in South Asia. Journal of International Development, 35(4), 789–810.

  11. IFC. (2023). Women entrepreneurs finance initiative: Impact report 2022–2023. International Finance Corporation.

  12. IMF. (2022). Gender and finance: Unlocking the potential of women entrepreneurs. International Monetary Fund.

  13. ILO. (2023). Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical brief. International Labour Organization.

  14. Karlan, D., & Zinman, J. (2020). Expanding credit access. Review of Financial Studies, 21(3), 1434–1456.

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  16. Kumar, A., & Singh, R. (2022). Gender disparities in SME financing. Small Business Economics, 58(3), 1201–1224.

Ethics and Compliance
✓ All ethical standards met
This article has undergone plagiarism screening and double-blind peer review. Editorial policies have been followed. Authors retain copyright under CC BY-NC 4.0 license. The research complies with ethical standards and institutional guidelines.
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