Publications

Publications

Collateral ownership and women’s participation in informal finance schemes

Collateral ownership and women’s participation in informal finance schemes

The literature on informal finance provides ample evidence on the importance of informal financial intermediaries for women. Our study extends research in this area by exploring how gender-asset-ownership is related to women’s participation in informal finance schemes. Using a random sample of 250 women from Puebla, Mexico, our probit model estimates revealed that younger women with intermediate level of education are more likely to access the informal finance sector. Model estimates also suggest that women who own businesses are more likely to use informal finance. Finally, women are more likely to resort to these schemes when their husbands/partner own assets, but not when they own the assets themselves.

Gender Finance