Cultural Norms and the Gendered Impact of Entrepreneurship Policy in Mexico

This article explores how policies that reduce barriers to entrepreneurship impact underrepresented groups differently depending on local norms and cultural beliefs. While prior studies suggest that underrepresented groups should benefit more than other groups do from policies lowering entry barriers, the empirical evidence is mixed. We argue that the absence of normative and cognitive support can undermine the effectiveness of these policies for underrepresented groups. To explore this, we leveraged the staggered rollout of a policy that reduced entry barriers to entrepreneurship in Mexico. The results show that while the policy increased the number of businesses founded by men, it had a small and statistically insignificant impact for women, thus exacerbating the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Further analyses suggest that while women were not more likely to become involved in entrepreneurship as founders, they did become engaged in alternative roles within new ventures, often leaving other forms of employment to enter unpaid work in businesses founded by men in their household. The effects of the policy on the gender gap in entrepreneurship and unpaid work were more pronounced in areas with a strong patriarchy logic and among married individuals. This research highlights the need to consider context in the design of policies intended to encourage entrepreneurship.