COVID-19, trade and gender in Bangladesh

The aim of the paper was to assess the nexus between COVID 19, trade and gender. Since readymade garments (RMG) and remittances (i.e. services exports) dominant exports in Bangladesh, the paper analyses the impact of the COVID-19 via the RMG and remittance shocks on women workers and entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. The economic and social impacts on trade and COVID 19 are large in Bangladesh. Supportive measures were needed to address these deleterious impacts. The paper recommends tapping into the potential for job creation in ready-made garment and service sectors with supporting policies to alleviate women's unpaid care work, to reduce gender-based violence in the public space and at work and to upgrade women's skills - in particular, digital skills to accompany the economic transformation to a shift towards the ICT and service sector. It was also suggested that the government should ensure that support packages reach women entrepreneurs by partnering up with micro-finance institutions and offer reduced collaterals, prolonged repayment timeline and flexibility as to the size of the interest free loan.