Introduction
Financial inclusion is a crucial strategy for women to strengthen their projects and improve their financial well-being. However, accessing financing remains a challenge for women-owned businesses in Mexico.
The Current State of Financing for Women-Owned Businesses
According to the National Survey of Financing for Companies (ENAFIN) 2024, only 42% of women-owned companies have received financing at least once since their operations began.
Lucía Buenrostro Sánchez, Vice President of Regulatory Policy at the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), highlighted that access to credit is even lower for women-owned microenterprises, with only 36% obtaining it.
Credit Application Disparities
A study of 140,000 companies found that 50% of both male- and female-led organizations have applied for financing since their inception. Of these, 45.9% received funding, while 4.1% did not.
Susana Pérez Cadena, General Director of Economic Statistics at the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), noted that companies led by men apply for more credit than those led by women.
As a result, 51.6% of male-led organizations applied for credit, while only 46.1% of women-owned businesses sought financing.
Financial Products and Digitalization
The report indicates that nine out of ten women-owned businesses have at least one financial product, such as accounts or cards. However, this does not always translate to active usage.
Despite this, women-owned businesses show a higher acceptance of debit and/or credit card payments (56%) compared to companies led by men (52%).
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main issue faced by women-owned businesses in Mexico? Limited access to credit, with only 42% of these companies receiving financing at least once.
- Why is the credit access rate lower for women-owned microenterprises? The rate drops to 36%.
- How do credit application habits differ between male- and female-led organizations? Male-led companies apply for credit more frequently (51.6%) compared to female-led businesses (46.1%).
- What percentage of women-owned businesses have financial products like accounts or cards? Nine out of ten women-owned businesses have at least one financial product.
- Do women-owned businesses actively use their financial products? Not necessarily; although they have access, the usage may not be active or effective.
- How do women-owned businesses compare to male-led companies in accepting card payments? Women-owned businesses accept debit and/or credit card payments in 56% of cases, compared to 52% for male-led companies.
