Coronavirus Relief Fund for Vulnerable women

COVID-19 pandemic, like other calamities, has come at a colossal cost to human life. The COVID-19 pandemic is emblematic of this. Women are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 as compared to men because already many women depends on their small business to provide for their families. According to FinScope Zambia, 68% of women are financially excluded and women have less access to bank institutions at 11.6% compared to 17.5% for men. On the other hand, women have higher usage rate as concerns informal loan providers at 12.2% compared to 10.3% for men. (Interestingly, more women say they would spend potential credit on starting businesses than men.) As mentioned above, most women have low incomes earned outside the formal sector and less access to collateral or other security. Some banks have gender-biased policies insisting that the husband should give his consent to a wife’s application and/or collateral being proposed.

Quarantine measures imposed by Government as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic are putting many girls and women at heightened risk of violence in the home and cutting them off from essential protection services and social networks.

Economic stress on families due to the outbreak has put women and girls at greater risk of exploitation, child labour and gender-based violence is now the order of the day. Therefore, to respond to these challenges CCCYD has developed with project in consultation with many affected vulnerable women in Solwezi. The country lockdown is also lock down on women and girls’ autonomy, reinforcing the attitudes and practices that regard women and girls as second class and hold them back. Rigorous protection and safeguarding all girls and women from gender-based violence must be emphasised and prioritised in all policies, information, guidance at all stages of the response

The COVID-19 relief fund  is  providing a revolving fund to vulnerable women keeping orphans and vulnerable children to start a small home based business that would help them recover from major negative impacts of COVID-19. Vulnerable women are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Women in Solwezi feeds households and helps children attend school and meet health costs.

The project has so far supported over 200 vulnerable women who are recovering from the COVID-19 shocks. Micro entrepreneurship is key in attaining local development and improved income at household level.  many people shall benefit and the majority beneficiaries will remain with a capital which they have lost during the Country's lock down. All the beneficiaries  are also being  trained in micro business management  with the support from DSIK that is providing training resources and the micro business training game . When we empower a woman we have empowered the whole family hence developing this initiative to respond to COVID-19 economic impacts. Your continued is