Support rural, women-led entrepreneurs amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Puiblished on Devex on 28 April, this opinion piece by Pamela Bella Nyamutoka Katooro, Regional Director of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), considers the economic challenges of COVID-19 on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, including significant declines in revenue, insolvencies, and job losses.  The IIRR has been working with over 10,000 agri-based SMEs, mostly in rural Africa and Asia, to help women entrepreneurs increase their business competitiveness through capacity-building training in entrepreneurial skills and business management, among other things. So the institute asked African women, “What does this ‘coronavirus monster’ really mean for your businesses?” Most of the women were extremely stressed; they cited low sales, reduced or closed markets, limited mobility, no income alternatives, and no safety nets. The COVID-19 crisis is predicted to have far-reaching consequences that will be felt for years to come. The trajectory of rural development has thus changed, requiring 'business unusual' to help rural entrepreneurs cope with economic stresses amid the pandemic. 

According to the IIRR, the solution lies in embracing the future. Gender-inclusive digital services provide an opportunity to support rural-based supply chains and overall food security systems. Therefore, reviving safety nets and using ICTs for boosting business growth will be pivotal for rural, women-led companies to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.