The gender gap in bank credit access

We use a sample of over 80,000 Spanish companies started by sole entrepreneur between 2004 and 2014, distinguish male female entrepreneurs demand for credit, credit approval ratio, performance. find that who start business are less likely to ask loan. Of the requesting probability obtaining one in founding year is significantly lower than their peers same industry. This access disappears subsequent years, once company has track record profits losses. also observe women-led receive loan default as compared men-led companies. superior performance coinciding with disappearance access. Taking all these results together, we rule out both taste-based discrimination statistical industry, point possible presence double standards which might be consequence implicit (unconscious) discrimination.