KP’s businesswomen striving hard to survive due to virus lockdown

PESHAWAR: Women possessing small businesses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have been struggling hard to survive since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, with many not being able to pay rents and utility bills.

They fear that their businesses could completely collapse, if the government failed to come to rescue their small businesses.

Women associated with small industries have asked the federal and KP governments to implement the lockdown to limit the virus spread, but side by side also protect their sources of income as they are already bearing the brunt of the covid-19 lockdown with thousands of them getting unemployed.

Rukhsana Nadir, who is the president of Peshawar Women Chamber of Commerce, told Pakistan Today that working women associated with beauty parlours, women’s gyms, handicrafts centers, restaurants, boutiques, home-made kitchens etc are finding it difficult to even pay their monthly bills and rents.

She said such businesses were usually started by financially weak women in several districts with the support of local and international organizations, adding they (women) have no enough savings to keep their businesses intact.

“There are 450 registered members of the chamber,” Rukhsana said.

In KP, it is already difficult for women to find jobs or start their businesses due to socio-economic conditions and now due to the lockdown, women associated with small businesses at home have rendered workless as there are no exhibitions or markets open, she added.

The chamber’s office-bearer said only in Peshawar more than 40 beauty parlors, about 40 home kitchens, and up to 15 restaurants run by women had been closed due to the closure of markets.

She suggested the government to include woman entrepreneurs in the recently announced financial relief package by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Rukhsana demanded the government to waive three-month bills for businesswomen.

She lamented that the government is expanding lockdown period but no financial package has been announced for businesswomen.

Shahida, who runs a beauty salon in Peshawar, says her 20 women employees are now jobless due to the present situation. She says is now worried about the payment of different type of bills, rent and other expenditures worth Rs0.6 million monthly.

She said as compared to other provinces, women in KP aren’t making enough profit, therefore, the provincial and federal governments are requested to provide financial relief package to small businesses owned by women and help them rescue their businesses.