Financial inclusion gaps among women entrepreneurs: a rural-urban analysis in Mexico, 2021

OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs based on the size of their locality of residence (rural, low-urban, medium-urban, and upper-urban areas,) in the Northeast and Western–Bajío regions of Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A quantitative analysis was conducted. T...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pérez Morales, Lucía Guadalupe, Vega Macías, Daniel, López Mateo, Celina
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:México
Institución:UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE TABASCO
Repositorio:Hitos de Ciencias Económico Administrativas
OAI Identifier:oai:revistahitos.ujat.mx:article/6309
Acceso en línea:https://revistahitos.ujat.mx/hitos/article/view/6309
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:empresas
inclusión financiera
mujeres
zonas rurales.
enterprises
financial inclusion
women
rural areas.
Descripción
Sumario:OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs based on the size of their locality of residence (rural, low-urban, medium-urban, and upper-urban areas,) in the Northeast and Western–Bajío regions of Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A quantitative analysis was conducted. The sample consisted of 372 women entrepreneurs, distributed across four locality strata: rural (n=65), lower-urban (n=42), middle-urban (n=64), and upper-urban (n=201). Three dimensions of financial inclusion (access, use, and quality) were evaluated using the Chi-square test (p<0.05) to identify statistically significant differences among strata. RESULTS: Women in rural areas present a clear disadvantage in access to and use of formal financial products—such as payroll accounts (1.5% vs. 19.4% in high-urban areas), bank loans (4.6% vs. 18.4%), and Afore retirement accounts (6.3% vs. 39.4%)—demonstrating a greater reliance on informal mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need to design differentiated, gender-sensitive financial inclusion policies that prioritize women entrepreneurs in rural areas. These interventions, aimed at overcoming the identified barriers to access and use, represent a crucial strategy for reducing socioeconomic vulnerability and improving the quality of life of this segment of the population.