A new University of the Witwatersrand study reveals how female entrepreneurs are keeping Westbury's economy alive amid chronic gang warfare. Researcher Ilene Abrams found that local businesswomen face extreme mobility restrictions and emotional trauma, yet successfully bypass these barriers through informal community networks. The findings show these women deliberately adapt their daily operations to absorb violent shocks, relying heavily on deep community trust rather than formal state support. Economists say the research provides a vital blueprint for tailored policy interventions in South Africa's high-risk townships. For more on the research. We spoke to Ilene Abrams, a Wits Masters Graduate whose thesis titled- Resillience in Ganflands: Strategies and Coping Mechanism of Female Entrepeneurs in Westbury, focused on women entrepreneurs