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This paper examines how reforms of the regulatory business environment inspired by the World Bank’s Doing Business reports impact the economic participation of women in developing countries. It focuses on gender-related impacts of four business environment reforms in areas of 1) Obtaining Credit, 2) Registering Property, 3) Starting a Business and 4) Employing Workers. The paper begins by describing the methodology of the Doing Business reports and how the suggested reforms would lead to private sector growth. Then, using an institutional economics framework, it traces women’s most binding constraints in areas of credit, land titling, business start-up and female employment that the Doing Business failed to capture. Discussions show how Doing Business-style reforms in the four areas mentioned create ambiguous impacts for women entrepreneurs by either leading to increased economic opportunities or reinforcing constraints and opening up areas for exploitation. The paper emphasises that although most of the binding constraints for female economic participation take root at the level of customs, norms and beliefs – it is possible for the government to remove discrimination in the private sector by creating informed, gender-sensitive reforms.

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