Government support to Pakistani women entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeUnder the unique context of COVID-19, this paper aims to analyze how the Government of Pakistan (GoP) provides financial and non-financial support to women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Drawing on the resource-based theory of entrepreneurship (RBTE), the study advances the understanding of resources and grants offered by GoP to women entrepreneurs to help them in business survival.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts qualitative research method to address the questions: how does the Pakistani government respond to issues faced by women entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what assistance and initiatives were implemented by GoP? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty on-job government officials related to the entrepreneurial sector in Pakistan.FindingsThe paper reveals that during the pandemic, GoP keenly communicated with women entrepreneurial representatives to comprehend their business challenges. In addition, waivers and incentives were provided to support their business activities. GoP further invited women entrepreneurs to contribute their knowledge and give suggestions in policy making.Originality/valueLots of research have been conducted to identify the issues faced by women entrepreneurs during the pandemic. However, the specific strategies, policies, and support provided by the governments to address these issues have often been overlooked. This paper fills such gap with focus on the governing bodies and policymakers in Pakistan towards women entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 crisis.

Mental Health Survey of Social Entrepreneurs During COVID-19: A Study From Pakistan.

Background: COVID-19 is widely considered one of the worst pandemics in history, resulting in worldwide lockdowns, social isolation, unemployment, and economic recession. With the prolongation of COVID-19, numerous people experience stress, depression, and other mental health challenges. Recently, several studies have been documented in the literature on mental health issues among students (related to medical or other fields), teachers, medical personnel, and nurses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, social entrepreneurs (SEs) have received insufficient attention. This study aims to conduct an online survey in Pakistan's five major cities to investigate more about the mental health status of social entrepreneurs. Materials and Methods: An online survey which included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was employed to collect data. The data analyses were carried out employing descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and multiple regression analyses. Results: A total of 840 social entrepreneurs from Pakistan participated in the survey. Among these, 366 (43.6%) were female and 474 (56.4%) were male. The findings revealed that 709 (84%) social entrepreneurs were suffering from depression symptoms, and 600 (80%) were suffering from anxiety symptoms. The majority of social entrepreneurs with depression (N = 546) and anxiety (N = 567) had mild and moderate stages. In addition, optional open-ended questions were asked from SE participants that help to understand their perception and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The study concluded that several SEs in major cities of Pakistan were experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. Based on data analysis, male SEs were highly suffering from depression and anxiety than female SEs. Limited resources and changes in customers' behavior were one of the major problems that lead SEs to depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, SEs revealed that the lack of a social business execution policy is the most distressing factor for them. Therefore, a local government must take rigorous precautionary measures to prevent mental health issues among social entrepreneurs. Moreover, the Government of Pakistan needs to adopt supportive policies to assist social entrepreneurs in stressful circumstances.