Entrepreneurship remains one of the main income generation strategies for millions of Brazilian women, who face structural difficulties in the formal job market in accommodating professionals who have become mothers, especially. A survey carried out by the Instituto Rede Mulher Empreendedora (IRME), between 2023 and 2025, shows that even when starting a business, problems multiply, ranging from informality and debt to difficulties in accessing credit and racial inequalities.
According to studies conducted by IRME’s Gender and Entrepreneurship Laboratory, the majority of Brazilian women are between 30 and 49 years old, live mainly in the Southeast and Northeast regions and have a relatively low average income. In 2025, for example, the average income declared by the interviewees was around R$2,400 per month, an amount that often supports not only themselves, but also other family members. The data also reveals that 58.3% of these women are heads of families, highlighting the central role of these activities for the domestic economy.
Maternity
One of the strongest points identified by IRME research is the relationship between motherhood and entrepreneurship. In 2023, 77% of women said they started the business after becoming mothers, a trend that is repeated in subsequent surveys. In 2024, for example, 73% of entrepreneurs were mothers and 37% declared to be solo mothers.
For Ana Fontes, founder of Rede Mulher Empreendedora, the data highlights a structural difficulty in the formal market in accommodating professional mothers. “Since 2016 we have been carrying out this survey annually and more than 68% say that children came before entrepreneurship. This shows the resistance of the job market to accepting a mother as a professional. Often the remaining path is entrepreneurship”, he states.
The overload of domestic work and childcare also directly impacts business performance. Half of the interviewees stated that they did not receive any type of help at home or at the company, reducing the time available for management, planning and expansion of activities.
Another recurring challenge is informality. In 2023, only 48% of female entrepreneurs had a CNPJ, which limits access to credit, support programs and growth opportunities. In regions such as the North and Northeast, informality is even higher: up to seven in ten women’s businesses operate without formalization, often due to a lack of resources to cover tax and bureaucratic costs.
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The financial situation of female entrepreneurs also reveals basic fragility. In 2023, 73% reported having debt and 43% were late on payments, while four in ten businesses did not generate enough revenue to cover costs.
The most recent data points to greater caution in financial management. In 2025, 57.3% said they had no debts and arrears fell to 14.6%, but the problem remains relevant: 72.1% of those interviewed were negative as individuals, signaling that many resort to personal credit to support the business.
Credit is still a barrier
Access to credit consistently appears as one of the biggest bottlenecks for the growth of women’s businesses. Among the entrepreneurs who sought financing in 2025, 52.4% turned to private banks and 39.6% to fintechs, but the majority did not even try to access formal credit: 65.5% never requested financing, citing lack of information, bureaucracy and insecurity.
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Among those who tried, 26.3% had their request denied. Part of these denials also involves discrimination: 30.5% of rejected entrepreneurs stated that they had suffered some type of discriminatory treatment during the process.
Racial inequality is also directly reflected in this scenario. Black women face higher denial rates and access to lower amounts. While 29% of black entrepreneurs were denied credit, the rate among white women was 23%. Furthermore, 37% of black women received loans of up to R$2,000, while only 22% of white women received this level of credit. Values above R$20,000 were granted to only 6% of black women, compared to 20% of white women.
For the expert, the results reinforce the need for public policies and private initiatives that expand access to credit, reduce informality and strengthen support networks for women entrepreneurs, especially with regard to the care economy.
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Training
Given this scenario, Rede Mulher Empreendedora (RME) announced a series of initiatives for Women’s Month, focusing on training and developing businesses led by women.
Among the projects is Virada da Empreendedora, an itinerant initiative that in 2026 will visit Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and São Paulo, offering mentoring, business fairs and workshops aimed at expanding sales and business management. Each edition should bring together around 300 participants, connecting local entrepreneurs with experts, companies and potential partners.
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“Investing in the development of women means investing in more sustainable, fair and innovative solutions for society. When we expand access to knowledge, networks and opportunities, we also expand the economic impact on territories”, says Ana Fontes.
According to the institute, strengthening female entrepreneurship goes beyond individual autonomy, because when women increase income and opportunities, the positive effects spread to families, communities and the entire local economy.
