COVID-19 has spread globally, sending billions of people into lockdown as health services struggle to cope. As with most humanitarian crisis situations, this pandemic has severely disrupted lives and businesses throughout the globe. This is a difficult period for the world and our country Nigeria, and it is essential for all sectors together with governments to collaborate and prioritize the needs of the economy with a focus on women and girls.
It is now a general observation that gender plays a role in the unfolding pandemic as women and girls face intensified risks as the crisis rages on. If some of these initiatives for crisis situations are focused on women, the communities would benefit faster from them as women ensure family, friends and employees are looked after in a timely manner.
This would also help build their credit history since a lack of credit information can disproportionately disadvantage women, particularly if they have little collateral or control over assets. In combating the issues with women’s access to finance, the challenges faced by women need to be addressed and these include: cultural norms/practices that discriminate against women, lack of access to capital, inadequate support structures, limited leadership skills and capacities.
Ultimately, in order to prevent economic decline during crisis, collaborations by all stakeholders are essential to build a culture of support, equality and community across board. We should all be committed to ending the scourge created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adeoye is a development programme specialist with expertise in the implementation of strategies, processes and systems that support the management of programmes especially those geared towards financial inclusion.