The ICA-AP Committee on Women held a ‘Regional Webinar on the Impact of COVID-19 on Women Cooperators in Asia and Pacific on 10th September 2020. 13 women leaders from apex cooperatives from 11 countries (India, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea) participated in the webinar. The committee members convened to discuss the diverse and severe ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on cooperative business and women cooperators at the grassroots.
Presiding over the webinar, Dr. Nandini Azad, Chairperson of the Women’s Committee, ICA-AP, said that the nationwide lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic outbreak was a difficult time for women’s savings and credit cooperatives in India. While sharing the experiences of her organization Indian Co-operative Network for Women (ICNW)/ Working Women’s Forum (WWF), she said that the survival of savings and credit cooperative businesses was under serious threat at the beginning of March, as payments were impossible, recovery rates were poor, and there was a huge loss of resources. However, poor women cooperators in ICNW held their feet on the ground and strong cooperation between them helped to survive the pandemic.
Ms. Chitose Arai, ICA-AP Vice-President, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Vice-President of JCCU and Chairperson of Co-op Mirai, the largest consumer cooperative business in Japan delivered the opening address and shared the impact of COVID-19 on consumer cooperatives in Japan. She said that the webinar was an opportunity to meet committee members and provide them with information that they might need and find useful to cope with the pandemic.
Ms. Juhee Lee, from iCOOP, South Korea; Ms. Chitra K. Subba from National Cooperative Federation, Nepal; Ms. Madhavai Vipradas from IFFCO, India; Ms. Aisha Salem from Economic and Social Development Center, Palestine; Ms. Cardona Joselita Flores from NATCCO, the Philippines, during their presentations shared challenges faced by women cooperators during COVID-19. Some of the challenges were increased – domestic violence cases; effect on mental health; limited involvement of women in cooperatives response, planning and decision making during the pandemic; and layoffs. They also shared the approaches adopted by their cooperatives such as hotlines for women, donations, production of masks, the supply of medicines and PPE kits. They showed the dynamic role played by women cooperators who volunteered to support local action and relief work in their communities. This pandemic has thrown significant light on the heroism that women across countries have exhibited through their local knowledge, meticulous and immediate actions at all levels.
Ms. Khin Moh Moh representing Central Cooperative Society, Myanmar; Ms. Patsie Tan from Singapore National Co-operative Federation, Singapore; Ms. Noorizan Abdul Latif from ANGKASA, Malaysia; Ms. Zulfa Adams from Maldives Fishermen’s Association, Maldives; and Ms. Errum Sharif Bhaiji from Karachi Cooperative Housing Societies Union, Pakistan joined the discussions and shared the situation in their countries and activities undertaken by their organisations.
Following the announcements for upcoming activities made by the new Committee Secretary Ms. Simren Singh, Dr. Azad summarised the proceedings of the webinar, thanked members for their active participation, and declared the webinar officially closed.
