BOGOLO KENEWENDO THERE is an African saying: empower a woman and empower a community. As the G7 leaders meet in Cornwall, the acknowledgement of this simple truth has never been more vital. The UN estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic has dumped 47 million more women and girls below the poverty line. Women are particularly vulnerable to the pandemic’s impact because they tend to work and run businesses in the informal economy where there is no state-provided safety net of any sort. This disproportional impact extends to access to capital. In sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of businesses are owned by women but…