The role that women have in the global economy is crucial — they are changing society and helping the economy as they empower themselves and their families.
E-commerce offers enormous opportunities for business-to-business and business-to-consumer (B2C).
E-commerce is vital in offering new horizons by opening opportunities for entrepreneurship and self-employment, especially in post-pandemic.
Today, more than ever, global trade has increased focus on the importance of technology as an engine for social and economic growth.
Globally there are more than 10 billion mobile subscriptions, 4.3 billion people own smartphones and about 5.2 billion people are connected to the Internet. Social distancing due to Covid-19 has made physical presence is increasingly unnecessary with the growing prevalence of e-commerce, which is providing unlimited business opportunities globally.
The future of the global economy is digital, yet how can we ensure women are able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the digital revolution?
The role that women have in the global economy is crucial — they are changing society and helping the economy as they empower themselves and their families. Money in the hands of women is spent on health and education, benefiting the community and economy.
E-commerce offers enormous opportunities for business-to-business and business-to-consumer (B2C). The B2C, which is growing fast, is important to the global economy.
While e-commerce cuts costs such as maintaining a physical store-front, capital requirements persist, from start-up to expansion. For women, this requirement is particularly challenging.
Women’s entrepreneurship should be promoted and facilitated by improving access to financing and investments, tools of the trade, business development and training and an increase in their share in trade.
E-commerce is vital in offering new horizons by opening opportunities for entrepreneurship and self-employment, especially in post-pandemic.
To ensure no woman is left behind in this digital space, governments, the private sector and civil society all have complementary roles to play.
Education and training in specific digital skills such as e-payments, marketing online, return policy, remain challenges to the female community being more present online.
E-commerce should be considered one of the driving forces in women’s economic empowerment post-pandemic. Let’s make sure we make it happen.
Further, given cultural barriers in some societies that require women to stay in the house, e-commerce offers women the liberty to work from home while expanding a business, while taking care of the family.
Access to technology for women cannot happen without active engagement with the private sector, governments should foster linkages between multinational companies and the domestic private sector to facilitate technology development and transfer, on mutually agreed terms, of knowledge and skills, but governments must also ensure that private sector actors operate in a socially responsible manner.
Masaai beads are normally sold in the Maasai market in Kenya. With e-commerce, the Maasai women in Nairagie Ngare can also sell their products via their social media platforms or website to tourists all over the world. But they cannot move to e-commerce without mentoring and training.
