The Invisible Gap: Why Women Entrepreneurs Remain Locked Out of the Financial Game in Mexico and the U.S.

In 2025, the narrative of gender equality in entrepreneurship appears to be gaining traction, but the numbers paint a less optimistic picture. In both Mexico and the United States, women continue to face persistent barriers in accessing financing, business advisory services, and markets—elements essential to the sustained growth of their ventures. While initiatives and programs have been launched in both countries to address these disparities, progress remains insufficient to close the gender gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Mexico: Informality and Digital Opportunity

In Mexico, women represent 20.6% of all entrepreneurs. However, 82% of them operate informally, severely limiting their access to formal credit, specialized guidance, and incubation programs. As a result, only between 8% and 11% of women entrepreneurs secure bank or government financing, according to data from Tec de Monterrey and the Finance for Development platform.

The unequal access to financial services stems from various factors: the lack of formal credit history, low financial literacy, and gender biases embedded in banking and investment systems. Additionally, many women start businesses out of economic necessity, often lacking access to networks or seed capital.

Despite these limitations, 2024 marked a turning point with the rise of digital financial services. The growing use of digital payments through SPEI and CoDi has enabled thousands of women to partially formalize their operations and establish financial traceability. Furthermore, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and fintech company Stori announced a joint investment of 7 billion pesos to boost financial inclusion for women, especially in low-income sectors and Indigenous communities.

Nevertheless, these efforts are not yet systemic or fully integrated with local economic development programs. The absence of technical follow-up, personalized support, and access to value chains continues to hinder the consolidation of women-led businesses—especially in southern and central states.

United States: Capital, Mentorship, and Representation Still Uneven

In the U.S., the women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem has shown signs of growth. Women now own 39.1% of all businesses in the country—an increase of 13.6% compared to 2019, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA). However, only 2% of venture capital is allocated to startups founded solely by women. This figure has barely changed over the past five years, despite efforts by the private sector to adopt gender-lens investment strategies.

SBA-backed loans to women grew by 70% in 2024, yet they still accounted for only 21.3% of total SBA loans. Structural barriers—such as the underrepresentation of women in financial leadership, the male dominance in investment networks, and bias in risk assessment processes—continue to restrict equitable access to capital.

A positive development has been the rise in the number of female angel investors, who accounted for 47% of the total in 2023. These investors are increasingly funding women-led ventures, helping create opportunities for more diverse projects. Additionally, universities like Stanford and Columbia have strengthened their accelerator programs for women entrepreneurs, integrating training in leadership, financial intelligence, and global business networks.

Challenges and Outlook for 2025: Intersectional Policies and Binational Alliances

To fully unlock the potential of women’s entrepreneurship in 2025, both Mexico and the United States must shift from reactive policies to structural strategies. In Mexico, priorities include creating effective formalization mechanisms, developing gender-sensitive financial products, and strengthening the institutional capacities of local governments to integrate women entrepreneurs into value-added supply chains.

In the U.S., it is urgent to broaden investment fund criteria to mandate diversity and inclusion indicators, as well as to enhance mentorship programs—especially in tech, advanced manufacturing, and sustainability sectors where female participation remains low.

At the binational level, there are key opportunities to create co-investment funds, promote women’s business networks across both countries, and share best practices in financial education, digital business transformation, and leadership models. Initiatives like the binational "Mujer Exporta" program and gender-focused innovation clusters can serve as starting points to build a more equitable development vision.

Gender equality in entrepreneurship is not just a moral goal—it is a necessary condition for the region’s sustainable economic growth. Breaking the invisible gap that continues to sideline millions of women entrepreneurs will be one of the most urgent—and strategic—challenges facing both countries in 2025.

Written by: Editorial Team