Women’s entrepreneurship, health-related crisis, and a gender-sensitive crisis management model for sustainable development

A crisis often impacts women’s entrepreneurship in ways different from their male counterparts. Thus, the purpose of this study is to introduce a crisis management model that can guide the formulation of policies to facilitate the sustainability of women’s entrepreneurial activities during a health-related crisis within developing economies. To do this, we utilised a case study research design that involved the in-depth interview of four women entrepreneurs who operated small businesses in Lagos, Nigeria. We utilised the findings to develop a gender-sensitive perspective to managing health crises. This is crucial as it offers stakeholders the foundation for building customised policies that can profoundly impact women-owned businesses. It also offers insights into strategies that can be put in place before and during a crisis to mitigate the adverse impacts of a crisis. This study advances a gender-sensitive perspective as a more practical approach to understand women’s entrepreneurial activities during a crisis.