Structural Impediments to Female Entrepreneurship in the Formal Sector of Urban Cameroon

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 169–176

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001269

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Structural Impediments to Female Entrepreneurship in the Formal Sector of Urban Cameroon

Names of Authors: Dr. Dieudonné T. Kamdem¹, Dr. Chantal M. Ngo¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract:
Female-owned enterprises represent a major pillar of economic development, yet they face severe constraints during scaling phases. This multi-site study investigates the institutional, structural, and cultural barriers that limit female business growth from the informal sector to registered formal enterprises in urban Cameroon. Survey data were gathered from 500 women entrepreneurs across Douala and Yaoundé, supplemented by 15 financial institutional audits. The statistical analysis demonstrates that female applicants experience a 60% higher loan rejection rate at commercial banks compared to male peers with identical collateral options (p < 0.05). Banking models rely heavily on physical property titles for loan collateral, a requirement that systematically excludes women due to historical gender imbalances in real estate ownership. The thematic analysis of entrepreneur experiences highlights a persistent environment of systemic extortion, where female merchants are subjected to arbitrary municipal taxes and sexual harassment by market regulatory officials. Furthermore, the absence of public childcare infrastructure forces women to split business hours with domestic care duties, resulting in a 40% reduction in enterprise net profit margins compared to male-operated ventures. The study concludes that market deregulation policies are structurally biased. We recommend creating state-backed guarantee funds for female start-ups, implementing blind credit-scoring applications, and launching secure municipal childcare hubs.

Keywords: Female Entrepreneurship, Commercial Credit, Collateral Barriers, Formalization, Informal Economy, Cameroon

Manuscript Timeline: Received: February 22, 2026; Revised: May 15, 2026; Accepted: June 25, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Kamdem, D. T., & Ngo, C. M. (2026). Structural Impediments to Female Entrepreneurship in the Formal Sector of Urban Cameroon. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 169–176. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001267

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