Challenges, Coping-up and Digital Interventions of Women Artisans of Thar Desert of Western Rajasthan

Abstract

During COVID-19 the rural enterprise sector struggled enormously. The situation has worsened the lives of small wage earners, who are solely dependent on their daily transactions. Their businesses are struggling as COVID has hit them hard. The hardships of people engaged in micro businesses, traditional art and craft; and of women entrepreneurs have doubled in the last two years since the pandemic unfolded across India. Such impact has not only created problems for the business environment but also in larger context the psychosocial implications are equally prominent. Rural enterprises in the Thar Desert of western Rajasthan have also suffered due to the ongoing pandemic and are struggling to cope up with the internal business environment alongside facing an external economic environment. Along with these, the producers and stakeholders, mostly women artisans are facing social challenges, now exponentially higher.