Impact of Covid 19 pandemic Focusing on Female-led Small and Medium Enterprises in the Rural Areas of Bangladesh

Abstract

During the Covid 19 pandemic, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), like other economic participants, were particularly heavily hit, which disrupted supply chains, demand, and national and international business networks. In Bangladesh, SMEs are a significant source of economic growth and jobs, but SMEs suffered the most vulnerable situation due to covid-19. However, there is no research conducted specifically focusing on the predicament of female-led SMEs in the rural areas of Bangladesh. In consideration to this, a survey on small and medium-sized enterprises in the rural area of Bangladesh, the majority of which are run by women, was carried out in order to gain a better understanding of the changing circumstances that firms faced throughout the lockdown period. A phone call survey has been conducted on 112 firms, and descriptive results have been depicted to find the impact of covid-19 on SMEs. The study found that lockdown procedures made the majority of small enterprises close and that one-fourth of those businesses were only operating at a limited capacity during the early lockdown phases. The gender gap widened as women's labor-intensive jobs were hit the worst. Furthermore, businesses with weaker financial resources faced heightened vulnerabilities, struggling to access government stimulus packages and financial aid. The study focuses on the impact of Covid 19 on SMEs, including how they run their businesses during the pandemic time, their employment situation, the most serious problem(s) during the pandemic and the steps taken, and their profit scenario. Finally, it intends to figure out how to get out of this unexpected situation. This study's drawback is the inability to perform any econometric analysis or correlative analysis.