Women and Equitable Growth in a Resource-Constrained World - Unleashing Capital for Women Entrepreneurs in Africa

This paper addresses the need to reform the international development finance architecture in ways that expand access to affordable credit for women entrepreneurs in the Global South at a time of many loud and competing demands for funds and attention. In arguing for increased access to affordable productive capital and economic participation for women, the paper focuses particularly on sub-Saharan Africa due to its urgent need for growth and relatively high female labor force participation (including high levels of entrepreneurship), coupled with low credit availability.