In recent decades, though the number of female entrepreneurs has grown, a gender gap remains. Self-confidence plays a pivotal role in understanding these differences. We examine gender and target margins in a vast dataset spanning Latin America, the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa. We use linear and interval regression analysis to estimate the relationship between gender and setting target margins. We find that female-led ventures are nearly five percentage points less likely to establish target margins compared to male-led ventures, even after adjusting for observable factors. Furthermore, ventures founded by women tend to set lower target margins than those with only male founders. These disparities could be attributed to intrinsic gender characteristics, contextual influences, and unique company traits. Given the link between profit margins and self-confidence, these findings suggest that, due to their self-assurance, typically higher, male entrepreneurs often set more ambitious goals, resulting in higher profits. To promote gender equality in entrepreneurship, policymakers, accelerators, and incubators should focus on bolstering the confidence of female entrepreneurs.

近几十年来，尽管女性企业家的数量有所增加，但性别差距仍然存在。自信在理解这些差异方面发挥着关键作用。我们在跨越拉丁美洲、加勒比地区和撒哈拉以南非洲的庞大数据集中检查性别和目标利润。我们使用线性和区间回归分析来估计性别和设定目标利润之间的关系。我们发现，与男性主导的企业相比，女性主导的企业实现目标利润率的可能性要低近五个百分点，即使在调整了可观察因素之后也是如此。此外，由女性创办的企业往往设定的目标利润率低于仅有男性创始人的企业。这些差异可能归因于内在的性别特征、背景影响和独特的公司特征。鉴于利润率和自信之间的联系，这些研究结果表明，由于男性企业家的自信通常较高，因此他们往往会设定更雄心勃勃的目标，从而获得更高的利润。为了促进创业领域的性别平等，政策制定者、加速器和孵化器应重点关注增强女性企业家的信心。