The “Entrepreneurship and Gender in Latin America 2017" study identifies the obstacles facing entrepreneurial women in the region that prevent them from participating effectively in the economic development of their countries.

342 entrepreneurial women from 15 countries around Latin America were interviewed for the research, which was conducted by the INCAE Business School.

The report notes that over 27% of the businesswomen surveyed stated that they had suffered discrimination because of their gender; over half feel that opportunities are not equal when it comes to setting up a business, and only 48% of women expect their business profits to rise in the next two years due to the difficulties they face because of their gender.

At a company level, the research analyzed the situation of both genders in senior management positions.  95% of female entrepreneurs employ a majority of women in their companies’ senior management posts, a much higher percentage than the number of women who occupy positions of responsibility in companies set up by men, where the proportion does not reach 50%.

The paper also recommended that political measures and support systems be rolled out, both in the public and the private sectors, to encourage the creation of SMEs. To reduce the lack of balance in the number of women entrepreneurs, the report says that training and mentoring programs are key measures, together with better access to funding.