Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma
The year started with news of another lockdown as this new Covid-19 variant has been raging.
While the lockdown, which has since been extended by two weeks, is necessary to help slow the spread of Covid-19, it comes with dire consequences for businesses, especially small to medium scale enterprises (SMEs).
Women make the bulk of SME operators, and a large chunk of them are in cross border trading.
Cross border traders are some of the most affected businesspeople, with the closure of borders.
Lockdowns and mandatory Covid-19 testing expenses are making running these businesses much more difficult.
Now they have to seek the services of runners in other countries to do errands for them, buy stuff and send it back home on their behalf, at a fee, which is increasing the costs of running the business.
Even if the stock is bought, only essential services are allowed to operate at this time, although some people can sell their wares and offer services online, it is just not the same.
The year 2020 wasn’t an easy one, and people were hoping for better fortunes in 2021. The year ended with a bit of hope for women and men in business, as borders opened for the festive holidays. However, this joy was short-lived when borders were closed again as Covid-19 cases shot up alarmingly.
The closure of borders affects business, and this impacts on family incomes and revenue flows.
Special interventions are needed to help reduce the impact of the pandemic on the quality of life of women and girls around the world, as loss of income means that most families will no-longer be able to sustain their livelihoods. Since the dawn of this millennium, international development discourse and formal agreements have increasingly emphasised the importance of gender empowerment and equality.
SMEs run by women have managed to keep so many households out of poverty and they have helped to keep girls in school and away from danger and abuse.
The Millennium Declaration in 2000, supported by governments across the world, affirmed that women’s empowerment and gender equality is one of the useful mechanisms to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate development that is truly sustainable. Programmes that provide women opportunities to better their health, education and wellbeing have had far reaching effects on the status of women in Africa.
However, the pandemic is threatening to undo the decades of progress and strides made in ensuring that Zimbabwean women, as well as women from all around the world, are empowered and able to fend for their families.
Covid-19 regulations as well as the economic recovery packages must cease to be all capitalist and elitist but must be pro poor and ensure that even the woman who used to run a vegetable stall is able to come back when the lockdown ends, social safety nets must ensure that while she is out of work during the lockdown, her family does not starve.
Tax payers’ money should be used to ensure that vulnerable households get basic commodities during lockdown.
Vulnerable households are not only the ones headed by the elderly or children, families that have lost income at this time are also vulnerable as they have no alternatives, so Government and its partners must step up and ensure that while people are staying at home and helping fight the pandemic, they do not go hungry.
If people are provided with basics such as food, then lockdown defiance will be less as people will not be compelled to go out looking for means to make enough to buy food.
Studies have shown that aid programs that provide women opportunities to better their health, education and wellbeing have effects far beyond a single individual, especially during and in the aftermath of disasters, therefore in the midst of a pandemic, lessons can be drawn from history to see how the empowerment of women led to more good for the whole of society.
Money ensures the emancipation of women from poverty and oppression by even their spouses and partners and money creates an independent mind. Apart from that, money guarantees women’s freedom in the way they manage homes and family matters. However, the pandemic is threatening to drive a wall between women and access to money, and gender sensitive interventions must stop this from happening.
In order for women to realise income, there is need to know about the opportunities that are available to them in the key economic sectors, that is agriculture, mining and tourism bearing in mind the existing economic situation.
During such times of global crisis that can lead to perennial losses in business, women also need financial literacy and management so that they are well versed on how to handle business transactions even under lockdown and how to stay afloat when operating under harsh economic times.
Despite the prevailing health crisis that has shaken global economies, there is need to continually reflect and implement the policies that ensure women’s full participation in the economy and to fully recognise particular needs of women.
There is need to support women’s collective action in rural areas so that women can access production resources such as finance, training and processing technologies including irrigation systems. The pandemic must not stop women’s drive to their economic emancipation; this time must be used to catapult enterprising women to greater heights.
The Women’s Bank is a gem and a trailblazer for women and in this regard, Zimbabwe is a torchbearer as it established the first bank for women and youths in Sadc.
However, women still need intensive training on how to establish and run those businesses. These institutions must find ways to serve women in business during the pandemic and to ensure that they help those who have suffered set-backs due to Covid-19 get back to their feet.
The bank should be able to serve women from all walks of life, with or without collateral and no matter how big or small a business is, women must feel free to walk in and get help.
Covid-19 pandemic recovery packages for empowerment must not be for the urban woman only. These empowerment drives must be tailor-made for women in rural set ups too, and loan facilities should be made easily available to them, especially now that mobility is limited due to travel restrictions put in place to combat the spread of the virus. – @andile_tshuma
Online Reporter