What is it about?

This feminist research provides unique views on women’s gender-specific challenges concerning their small businesses in a patriarchal developing nation during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the interviews of women business-owners in Bangladesh, it explains the diversified experiences of women in private and public areas in continuing their businesses during the pandemic period. It also clarifies patriarchal practices regarding women's discontinuing or closing down ventures due to the COVID-19 crisis.

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Why is it important?

The literature on women entrepreneurs during COVID-19 is mostly Western context centric. However, the other parts of the world offer different experiences to women because of contextual differences (for instance, maidservant support for women regarding household work in developing countries). This research generates diversified and valuable insights on women business-owners' gendered experiences in a highly patriarchal developing country.

Perspectives

This research has been recognised as one of the pioneering empirical studies on entrepreneurship in the world considering the COVID-19 crisis. I conducted the study when it was only three months of the identification of coronavirus case in Bangladesh, one of the most affected contexts in the world. Although I completed the research in a very short time, I am happy with the depth of the study and got it published in a leading journal in the area of gender studies.

Jasmine Jaim
Jahangirnagar University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Exist or exit? Women business‐owners in Bangladesh during COVID‐19, Gender Work and Organization, October 2020, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12546.
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