Myths and Realities of Women's Access to Finance report
This report was commissioned by the Women's Enterprise Task Force and researched by Rebecca Harding of Delta Economics in order to aid discussion around the WETF's third Pillar - access to finance and to examine the myths and realities of women’s access to finance.
Specifically, the WETF wished to understand whether it is true (as previously alleged) that women are charged more for loan finance than men, and whether women are being disadvantaged when it came to access to finance.
This research is set in a context of financial crisis which has intensified the debate around small and medium-sized businesses' finance generally, and women’s access to finance in particular. The report includes:
- An analysis of whether or not women find it disproportionately more difficult than men to raise money from banks.
- Insights into whether or not women are charged differential rates to men for any bank lending.
The WETF’s Myths and Realities of Women’s Access to Finance report finds that women tend to succeed at or above the rates of men when seeking bank finance, which is a major encouragement to women thinking of starting up in business in this challenging climate.
It also finds that women are less likely than men to have been rejected due to poor business planning, and are less likely to have been unable to make a repayment on loans, suggesting that women can be better at managing their business finances.
To download the WETF's Myths and Realities of Women's Access to Finance report, please click here.
For the press release, please click here.