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Gender, Entrepreneurship and Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of GoFood Merchants in Indonesia

Author

Listed:
  • Yesim Elhan-Kayalar

    (Asian Development Bank Institute)

  • Yasuyuki Sawada

    (Asian Development Bank Institute)

  • Yana van der Meulen Rodgers

    (Asian Development Bank Institute)

Abstract

We examine business performance and crisis mitigation strategies among micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We utilize a new primary data set based on administrative records, survey data, and follow-up interviews with merchants using the digital application GoFood, an on-demand cooked food delivery service. Three empirical findings emerge: First, the overall employment size of women-owned businesses shrank more than men-owned businesses after the pandemic outbreak; second, women were more likely than men to cut personal expenditures and use government assistance as crisis mitigation strategies; and third, competition increased sharply as new merchants entered the platform, with service areas of both incumbents and entrants shrinking over time. These results have implications for policies on women’s entrepreneurship, the uptake of business development services, and financing programs for MSMEs.

Suggested Citation

  • Yesim Elhan-Kayalar & Yasuyuki Sawada & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers, 2022. "Gender, Entrepreneurship and Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of GoFood Merchants in Indonesia," ADBI Working Papers 1346, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:adbiwp:1346
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    women; e-commerce; COVID-19; digitalization; MSMEs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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