How will COVID-19 Affect Women Entrepreneurs?

Prior to the pandemic, supporting and catalysing women entrepreneurship was a topic that was gaining traction across intermediary organisations and investment firms. Picture courtesy: Charlotte AndersonBy Saipriya SallaBENGALURU, Karnataka, India, Jul 19 2020 (IPS) Two years ago, Aarti started a small business selling traditional handicrafts online, supporting artisans based in rural Karnataka. After an initial phase of struggle, she had a steady stream of orders and was looking to procure manufacturing equipment and scale the impact of her business by supporting more local talent. All this came to a grinding halt in March 2020. The pandemic, and subsequent lockdown, meant severe restrictions on travel and business. Aarti’s new equipment couldn’t be delivered and she had no way to move her existing inventory. Historically, it has been documented that economic crises widen existing inequalities for women across key facets like access to healthcare, education, and financesShe was slowly burning through her savings and was unsure about how she would continue to provide basic income to her staff and artisans. Moreover, her in-laws had moved in with her family, which meant she now had extra caregiving responsibilities. Unfortunately, Aarti’s story is not unique. 2020 marks 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, once declared the most progressive blueprint for advancing women’s rights. Despite the years that have passed since, this s...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific Economy & Trade Gender Headlines Health Source Type: news