The gender gap in the country is also visible when it comes to entrepreneurship and small businesses. Women starting a business often face more barriers than men to growing and expanding. If we talk about financing, out of every 100 entrepreneurs, 7 men access capital when they request it, compared to only 1 woman, according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

In Peru, there are more than 1.3 million micro and small businesses (mypes) led by women that generate 4.8 million jobs nationwide, according to figures from the Ministry of Production (Produce). Although they are vital for the development of the country, they have less support.

Some of the reasons have to do with gender stereotypes that associate women with household activities, while calling into question their business leadership abilities. A UNDP study in Peru identified gender biases when talking about leaders: 1 in 5 people interviewed said they agreed or strongly agreed that men are better leaders than women. Likewise, for 31.5% of the people surveyed, women "have more difficulties than men in facing challenges."

Another of the challenges that women entrepreneurs have is that they have less time to prepare and dedicate themselves to their businesses because much of the unpaid domestic and care work falls on them. The National Survey on the Use of Time (ENUT) indicates that in our country women spend 23 hours a week more than men working at home.

Similarly, little access to business training puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to investing and growing their ventures. According to Produce, only 14.4% of microenterprises run by women have training in business management.

Women entrepreneurs after the pandemic

The pandemic has also greatly affected women and businesswomen. A study carried out by the Ministry for Women and UNDP highlights that women are more affected by the health emergency because they are located in the hardest-hit sectors such as commerce and services; In addition, they are often employed in informal jobs.

If we talk about micro-entrepreneurs, 41% of them closed their business due to the pandemic, mainly in urban areas, according to a survey by Financiera Confianza. Likewise, 72% of microentrepreneurs had to change their field or start a new business due to the pandemic. Faced with this severe blow, 44% had to use their savings and 14% requested a loan.

So, how to promote female entrepreneurship in the country?

Supporting businesses led by women is essential for the development of the country. By promoting them we not only help the women behind, but also their families and their community. According to the OECD, women reinvest 90% of their income in their families and communities, in contrast to the 30% invested by men.

The World Bank has already highlighted that supporting women entrepreneurs is an important investment to promote global development. Some concrete actions that help promote female entrepreneurship involve creating financial products that are tailored to their needs, investing in the development of their capacities, and increasing their participation in decision-making spaces.

The first report on "Programs to support women's entrepreneurship in the Pacific Alliance" indicates that programs should be implemented that aim to break stereotypes and improve access to financing. Likewise, it indicates that it is necessary to have national statistics on female entrepreneurship and the development of initiatives that consider the complete cycle: motivate, finance and grow the business.

Finally, the document highlights the need to increase and diversify the offer of programs that promote the entrepreneurial intention of women. "It is necessary that the public sector offer a combination of services and programs that contribute to unlocking the business potential of women," says the report prepared by the IDB and ASELA. Undoubtedly, we need coordinated work and the commitment of the private and public sectors to promote female entrepreneurship in the country.

Girls, adolescents and women have the right to live in a country with gender equality and with more and better opportunities; Achieving this goal is everyone's task. Growing in equality, we improve as a society. Women of Change is a campaign organized by RPP.