Credit risk in the microfinance industry: The role of gender affinity
This study explores the role played by gender in lending trans-actions and specifically its effects on the loan portfolio credit risk of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Using a multicountry data set of developing countries, where MFIs mainly operate, the analy-sis shows that a higher proportion of...
| Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Versión aceptada para publicación |
| Publication Date: | 2021 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universidad de Sevilla (US) |
| Repository: | idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:idus.us.es:11441/116573 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11441/116573 https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2020.1844487 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Microfinance Gender Entrepreneurship |
| Summary: | This study explores the role played by gender in lending trans-actions and specifically its effects on the loan portfolio credit risk of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Using a multicountry data set of developing countries, where MFIs mainly operate, the analy-sis shows that a higher proportion of female loan officers increases the loan portfolio at risk. Nonetheless, we also find that this positive relationship is negatively mediated by the gender affinity between female loan officers and female bor-rowers. Gender affinity suggests that female loan officers are more likely to lend to female borrowers, and this reduces the default rate of loans offered by MFIs |
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