Understanding Gender Gaps in Philippine MSME Policies: Lessons from the COVID-19 Experience

Peña, Paul John Mendoza Author_Email:, Bayudan-Dacuycuy, Connie Author_Email: and Vargas, Anna Rita P. Author_Email:

Philippine Journal of Development, 2025

Abstract: This paper examines the gendered impacts of policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurs, focusing on how relief measures and business continuity programs addressed the distinct needs of women entrepreneurs. Drawing on the lived experiences of business owners during the pandemic, the study assesses the extent to which a gender lens was integrated into the design, implementation, and monitoring of policies. It examines how government interventions influenced access to resources, coping strategies, and recovery outcomes across genders. Findings highlight that while most policy responses were intended as universal solutions, they did not consider structural gender differences in business ownership, caregiving responsibilities, and access to finance, emphasizing the importance of embedding gender-responsive frameworks in crisis policy design to ensure equitable resilience and recovery for all entrepreneurs.

Keywords: MSMEs; COVID-19 policy responses; women entrepreneurs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:phd:pjdevt:pjd_2025_vol__49_no__2a

DOI: 10.62986/pjd2025.49.2a

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