Pandemic hits women-owned MSMEs hard with reduced demand, disrupted supply chains
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The ongoing corornavirus pandemic has hit hard the women owned MSMEs with reduced demand, disrupted supply chains and worsening access to finance and marketing, speakers said.
They suggested diversifying products base, encouraging women towards digital mode of business, providing training, developing virtual market and increasing linkage programmes with micro finance institutions for easy access to funding.
The speakers said these on Monday at a virtual discussion titled “Women owned MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and Covid-19 challenges: Way forward for Bangladesh”.
UN Women Bangladesh organised the webinar aiming to draw practical recommendations on measures needed to support the recovery of women led MSMEs impacted by COVID-19.
UN Women Country Representative Shoko Ishikawa chaired the session while Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs President Rokia Afzal Rahman, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Senior Research Fellow Nazneen Ahmed, UN Women WE Empower Asia Regional Programme Manager Katja Freiwald, Joyeeta Foundation Managing Director Afroza Khan and Bangladesh Bank former government Dr Atiur Rahman were the panel speakers.
The key focus of the webinar was to look at strategies to create short, medium and longer-term recovery plans for building back stronger and sustainable women led and women owned MSMEs.