{"type":"script","doc_desc":{"producers":[{"name":"Reproducibility WBG","abbr":"DECDI","affiliation":"World Bank - Development Impact Department","role":"Verification and preparation of metadata"}],"prod_date":"2026-02-11","version":"1"},"project_desc":{"authoring_entity":[{"name":"Arti Grover","affiliation":"IFC","email":"agrover1@ifc.org"},{"name":"Stephen J. Anderson","affiliation":"Texas A&M University","email":"steve@sjanderson.info"},{"name":"Shreya Kankanhalli","affiliation":"Cornell University","email":"sak355@cornell.edu"},{"name":"Nandini Ramani","affiliation":"Texas A&M University","email":"nramani@mays.tamu.edu"}],"title_statement":{"title":"Reproducibility package for From Disparity To Equality: Strategic Targeting To Close Gender Gaps In Business Upgrading Programs","idno":"RR_WLD_2025_512"},"data_statement":"All data is temporarily embargoed by the authors (expected to be made public in the future).","software":[{"name":"Stata","version":"19 MP"}],"scripts":[{"title":"Reproducibility package for From Disparity To Equality: Strategic Targeting To Close Gender Gaps In Business Upgrading Programs","date":"2026-02","notes":"Computational reproducibility verified by Development Impact (DECDI) Analytics team, World Bank.","instructions":"See README in reproducibility package.","file_name":"RR_WLD_2025_512","zip_package":"RR_WLD_2025_512.zip","dependencies":"Stata dependencies are listed in the ado folder."}],"repository_uri":[{"name":"Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank)","uri":"https:\/\/reproducibility.worldbank.org"}],"production_date":"2026-02-11","abstract":"Business upgrading programs in developing economies often generate substantial gains for male entrepreneurs but limited average impacts for women, raising concerns about both efficiency and equity.  This study developed a Program Readiness Scorecard\u2014a transparent, scalable tool based on 10 observable factors capturing both entrepreneurial resources and capabilities\u2014to identify those most likely to benefit from such programs. Using pooled experimental data from firms in Uganda, South Africa, and Mexico, this paper shows that without targeting, firms led by men experience large and statistically significant gains, while those led by women have near zero average returns. Targeting that screens out entrepreneurs with the lowest scores on the Program Readiness Scorecard irrespective of gender improves women\u2019s outcomes but leaves a significant gap. Applying a higher Program Readiness Scorecard threshold\u2014specifically, restricting eligibility to women in the top quartile of the Program Readiness Scorecard distribution\u2014closes the gap entirely, as women with high scores achieve returns that are statistically indistinguishable from men\u2019s. These results are robust to multiple sensitivity checks. The findings have two broad policy implications. First, targeting based on the Program Readiness Scorecard can strengthen program outcomes for women-led firms while also identifying the cohort in need of remedial support prior to joining high-value initiatives. Second, beyond gender-focused programs, the Program Readiness Scorecard can be applied in a wider range of settings where scarce program resources must be directed toward enterprises with the greatest potential for sustained growth.","geographic_units":[{"name":"World","code":"WLD"}],"keywords":[{"name":"Entrepreneurship"},{"name":"Business Upgrading"},{"name":"Gender Gaps"},{"name":"Targeting"}],"topics":[{"id":"D22","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis","parent_id":"D2"},{"id":" L25","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"Firm Performance: Size, Diversification, and Scope","parent_id":"L2"},{"id":" L26","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"Entrepreneurship","parent_id":"L2"},{"id":" O25","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"Industrial Policy","parent_id":"O2"},{"id":" J16","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"Economics of Gender \u2022 Non-labor Discrimination","parent_id":"J1"}],"output":[{"type":"Working Paper","description":"Policy Research Working Papers (PRWP)","title":"From Disparity To Equality: Strategic Targeting To Close Gender Gaps In Business Upgrading Programs"}],"language":[{"name":"English","code":"EN"}],"technology_requirements":"Runtime: 2 hours","disclaimer":"The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development\/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.","license":[{"name":"Modified BSD3","uri":"https:\/\/opensource.org\/license\/bsd-3-clause\/"}],"contacts":[{"name":"Arti Grover","affiliation":"IFC","email":"agrover1@ifc.org"},{"name":"Reproducibility WBG","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"reproducibility@worldbank.org"}],"reproduction_instructions":"To reproduce the findings in this package once the data embargo is lifted, please follow the steps below:\n1. **Download the data:** Once the embargo is lifted, download the required datasets. Refer to the README for detailed instruction on how to obtain the data and the folder structure. \n2. **Update file paths:** Open the `00_master.do` file and update the file paths in line 10 to match your local directory.\n3. **Run the code:** Run the `00_master.do` file in Stata. This will generate all relevant figures and outputs.\nIn the meantime, the outputs from the replicator\u2019s run of the code are included in this package so users can review the figures and compare them with those published in the paper.\n","technology_environment":"Paper exhibits were reproduced on a computer with the following specifications:\n\u2022 OS: Windows 11 Enterprise\n\u2022 Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6226R CPU @ 2.90GHz\n\u2022 Memory available: 32.0 GB","datasets":[{"name":"From Disparity To Equality: Strategic Targeting To Close Gender Gaps In Business Upgrading Programs data","note":"Source: World Bank","access_type":"Data is temporarily embargoed (expected to be made public in the future).","uri":"Forthcoming at https:\/\/microdata.worldbank.org\/","citation":"World Bank. 2025. \u201cFrom Disparity To Equality: Strategic Targeting To Close Gender Gaps In Business Upgrading Programs data\u201d Unpublished data (embargoed)"}]},"tags":[{"tag":"DOI"},{"tag":"Open Code"},{"tag":"Restricted Data"}],"schematype":"script"}