Contract Design, Business Growth, and Female Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Microfinance in India

Abstract

Several field experiments find positive returns to grants for male and not female micro- entrepreneurs. But these analyses overlook that female entrepreneurs often reside with a male business owner. Using data from randomized trials in India, Sri Lanka and Ghana, the authors show that the gender gap in microenterprise performance is not due to a gap in aptitude. Instead, low average returns of female-run enterprises reflects the fact that women’s capital is typically invested into their husband’s enterprise. Household-level income gains are equivalent regardless of the grant or loan recipient’s gender. This research was funded under the Private Enterprise Development in Low Income Countries (PEDL) Programme