Gender-smart investing for inclusive growth in North Africa

Abstract

This study investigates the entrepreneurial and SME landscapes across the North African region with a specific emphasis on the role being fulfilled by women. To set the scene and to provide context, recent macroeconomic developments across North African countries are considered, before the attention turns to employment statistics and trends to ascertain the extent of the gender employment gap across North Africa, also when viewed from a global perspective. The discussion turns to the factors driving or inhibiting entrepreneurial and SME businesses’ success, concentrating on the North African landscape. Entrepreneurial and SME success is partly driven by having access to finance and so, the financial inequality gap between males and females is probed. The emergence of gender-lens investing as a strategy to address disparities between men and women is subsequently provided. As a precursor, a conceptual framework on the role of female entrepreneurship and female SME ownership in sustainable development and job creation is outlined, before turning to an investigation of what gender-lens investing entails, how gender-smart investing can empower women economically, both in job creation and in resilience. Lastly, we explore the stumbling blocks faced by gender-smart investors. The study concludes with a summary of the main findings along with highlighting key recommendations.