Main Obstacles for Female Entrepreneurs in Obtaining Credit in the City of La Paz (LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades)

Summary

• In Latin America, 73% of female-led businesses lack growth resources, contributing to a credit gap of $93 billion for female SMEs.p.4
• In La Paz, over 31.000 economic units were directed by women in 2024, representing the highest concentration in the country.p.4
• Commercial enterprises represent the largest sector among interviewed female entrepreneurs at 62,9%, largely due to lower initial capital requirements.p.8
• A significant 62,86% of surveyed entrepreneurs report severe difficulty providing documentation that proves business longevity.p.10

Key insights

1. Between 2020 and 2024, credit access for women in Bolivia increased by 30%, although structural and cultural barriers remain strong.p.4
2. High labor informality affects 70% to 80% of female workers in Bolivia, restricting their integration into the formal banking sector.p.4
3. Unrecorded informal microenterprises generate 40% of Bolivia's unrecorded GDP, with women representing 80% of workers in this sector.p.6
4. Over 42,88% of surveyed female entrepreneurs in La Paz reported that applying for formal credit required extensive time and complex paperwork.p.10
5. Targeted credit programs such as Mujer BDP allow loans up to Bs70.000 on single signature without requiring traditional collateral.p.13