Entering New Export Markets Is Crucial For Firms to Grow
“Entering new export markets and importing quality goods are crucial for firms to grow. Finding evidence that female entrepreneurs are less active in trading partner countries that display high levels of gender inequality can therefore have adverse implications for business performance in general,” says Ina Jäkel, co-author of the study “Beyond Borders: Do Gender Norms and Institutions Affect Female Businesses?”.
According to the study, female entrepreneurs export and import less than their male counterparts. Gender inequality and institutional biases against women in trading partner countries explain, at least in part, these gender differences in export and import behavior.
In particular, female entrepreneurs trade less with countries where gender inequality is higher.
These are some of the findings of a new study by RETHINK-GSC, an EU-funded research project led by the Kiel Institute that you can access here.