When the coronavirus stopped her husband from working, Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc's small business of selling cosmetics from home became the main income for their Vietnamese family of four.
But her business took a hit as, unlike many micro-entrepreneurs, she could not exploit online platforms and deliveries beyond her personal Facebook page.
Ngoc is typical of millions of small businesswomen in the region who are keen to earn but feel locked out of a digital revolution that has mostly helped young men in cities.