Promoting Female Entrepreneurship: Building Resilience In Times Of Covid

Some 35 female entrepreneurs are currently taking part in a three day capacity building workshop in Douala to gain skills on how to remain steadfast in their business despite the challenges brought about by Covid-19.

The training workshop organised by UNDP in partnership with GICAM  and some women led entrepreneurship associations is part of a programme aimed at  facilitating economic recovery through job protection and support for micro, small and medium size enterprises as a means of   reducing the impact and social impact of Covid 19.

With the outbreak of covid 19 most Small and Medium Size SMSes were hit and those managed by women were hardest hit as most of the women entrepreneurs  had to stop their  activity either to take care of children who couldn’t go to school or Covid sick relatives.  A good number were unable to acquire raw materials for their production since movement was restricted as a result most were forced out of business.

The turnover and profits of women-led businesses overall declined more during the Covid-19 pandemic and in 12 out of 18 countries these businesses were more likely to close (at least temporarily), 39.7% of women surveyed experienced a reduction in their income, 14.6% completely lost their source of income while 12% were forced into a secondary activity.

At the microeconomic level, a survey carried out in May 2020 by the National Institute of Statistics, with the support of the ...