Policy Catalogue: Women-led MSME Access to Financing

While the role of MSMEs as a driver for economic growth is widely recognized, access to finance remains a key constraint that limits their growth, especially for women-owned businesses. 

Other challenges that women-owned MSMEs face compared to men-owned enterprises are discriminating legal environments, unwritten social and cultural norms, lack of awareness about legal rights, economic, and training opportunities.

This case study provides an overview of policies and initiatives developed to facilitate and develop access to finance for women-owned/led MSMEs. The objective is to create an inventory that can be shared among AFI members and serve as a platform for knowledge exchange and peer learning.