{"id":50560,"date":"2024-03-08T23:36:10","date_gmt":"2024-03-09T04:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finca.org\/?p=50560"},"modified":"2024-03-12T07:20:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T11:20:27","slug":"gender-bias-remains-a-barrier-to-achieving-womens-empowerment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finca.org\/en-ca\/gender-bias-remains-a-barrier-to-achieving-womens-empowerment","title":{"rendered":"Gender Bias Remains a Barrier to Achieving Women’s Empowerment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As we commemorate International Women\u2019s Day, it\u2019s imperative to reflect on women’s challenges in pursuing economic empowerment and social equality. Despite progress in gender parity initiatives, women entrepreneurs around the world continue to encounter systemic barriers that hinder their ability to break out of poverty. For example, women face gender bias when accessing small business financing. This reality highlights the importance of women\u2019s empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its establishment in 1984, women\u2019s empowerment has been central to FINCA\u2019s mission. Early on, we knew that investing in women entrepreneurs is essential in the fight against global poverty. Our research in the last few years sheds light on the pervasive gender biases that women around the world encounter in their fight against poverty. It also underscores the urgent need for targeted solutions to address disparities, many of which result from gender bias. In this blog, we delve into five findings of our research exploring challenges facing women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Jordan, and other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Gender Bias Results in Increased Unpaid Labor Burden for Women<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A 2019 FINCA survey of our clients in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)<\/a>\u00a0shows that the burden of unpaid work puts women at a competitive disadvantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before venturing out of the house and into business, women in the DRC have other tasks to accomplish. They have many domestic obligations, including childcare, cleaning, gardening, fetching water, and cooking. These activities, valued between 10 to 40 percent of GDP, occupy more than four hours of a woman\u2019s day, compared with 1.5 hours for men. By the time women get a chance to compete in business, men\u2019s greater freedom gives them a head start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gender