• Advertise
  • Jobs
  • Freelance Gigs
  • Motoring
  • Money
Saturday, June 25, 2022
  • Login
  • Startups
    • About US
  • Reviews
  • Business
  • Motoring
  • Blockchain
    • Crypto News
  • Insider
    • Obituaries
  • Women
  • Hacks & Facts
    • How To
  • Editions
    • US Edition
    • India Edition
    • MENA Edition
    • Asia Edition
    • Europe Edition
    • International Edition
  • Columnists
No Result
View All Result
  • Startups
    • About US
  • Reviews
  • Business
  • Motoring
  • Blockchain
    • Crypto News
  • Insider
    • Obituaries
  • Women
  • Hacks & Facts
    • How To
  • Editions
    • US Edition
    • India Edition
    • MENA Edition
    • Asia Edition
    • Europe Edition
    • International Edition
  • Columnists
No Result
View All Result
TechMoran
No Result
View All Result
Home Women

ECOWAS and ITC launch the ECOWAS – ITC SheTrades project

The ECOWAS Commission has combined efforts with the International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades Initiative to launch the ECOWAS – ITC SheTrades project.

Data shows that across West Africa, women’s economic activity tends to be concentrated in subsistence activities, and in informal and non-tradable sectors of the economy. Through this project, ECOWAS and ITC will work with all stakeholders to ensure that the African Continental Free Trade Area  trade provisions and implementation mechanisms open equal markets opportunities for women and men.

In her remarks, H.E Finda Koroma, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission stated that: “With the entry into force of the AfCFTA and the start of trading under its regime in January 2021, new trading opportunities are open for women traders in the region. These opportunities should unlock our potential in numerous sectors and develop value chains for which our region has comparative advantages. To this end, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) need to be accompanied with adequate tools and resources in order to enable them increase their competitiveness and take advantage of export markets on the continent and beyond”.

This project will roll-out the tools and resources of ITC’s SheTrades Initiative to provide targeted support and technical expertise to women in business at a regional level. Through it focus on export readiness, this new joint project will empower women entrepreneurs to be competitive actors in AfCFTA trade ecosystems.

This latest series of in-person bootcamps on export readiness will be initially rolled-out in Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Benin and Togo, and there will be complimentary online trainings that will be offered in English, French and Portuguese for women entrepreneurs and Women’s Business Association members across the ECOWAS region.

ITC will work with ECOWAS and other major stakeholders to realise a series of export readiness bootcamps and online trainings; these practice-oriented trainings will provide women with the tools needed to position themselves as competitive exporters and traders within the AfCFTA. In parallel, ITC will also work with institutions to support women in trade by mainstreaming gender into trade policies.

“Through these trainings, women entrepreneurs across ECOWAS member states will be able to leverage networks of women’s associations and tap into new markets and trading opportunities. The trainings will give the women the knowledge and skills needed to assess the viability of trading within AfCFTA regulated markets for their product and then proceed with confidence if they choose to upgrade their business. These new commercial opportunities and access to markets will have considerable knock-on effects for gender equality and women’s economic empowerment including reducing poverty, and creating decent jobs”, said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director.

The programme builds on ITC’s SheTrades Initiative work to increase the competitiveness of women entrepreneurs and women producers and connect them to markets, and foster more inclusive business and policy ecosystems as well as ITC’s One Trade Africa programme to empower, enhance and enable MSMEs to access business opportunities in Africa.

The launch was followed by the first Steering Committee Meeting of the ECOWAS – ITC SheTrades Project which is composed of the ECOWAS Commission, the Federation of Business Women and Entrepreneurs (FEBWE), ITC and GIZ. The meeting, which was chaired by Mr Kolawole SOFOLA, Acting Director of Trade at the ECOWAS Commission, adopted the 2022 Action Plan of the project.

Readers 594

Share

  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Milcah Lukhanyu

Milcah Lukhanyu

Milcah Lukhanyu covers daily news briefs at TechMoran. She is the person who will probably read your press release and get the story out of it or totally trash it. Send tips to editor@techmoran.com

Related Posts

Kenyan Female Innovator  Wins Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize
People

Kenyan Female Innovator Wins Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize

by Milcah Lukhanyu
June 20, 2022
0

Norah Magero, a Kenyan female engineer based in the UK has made history in the United Kingdom after she became...

Women being left further behind in the expansion of mobile internet access-GSMA
Women

Women being left further behind in the expansion of mobile internet access-GSMA

by James Musoba
June 15, 2022
0

The expansion of mobile internet access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is continuing at pace, but risks leaving women...

Podcasting studio SemaBox launches initiative targeting women and non-gendered people
Audio

Podcasting studio SemaBox launches initiative targeting women and non-gendered people

by Val Lukhanyu
June 8, 2022
0

SemaBox, Kenya’s podcasting studio and first specialist podcasting studio, has announced the launch of the second edition of the Dada...

Here are the 30 female entrepreneurs receiving up to €50,000 in grant funding from Women Entrepreneurship for Africa

Here are the 30 female entrepreneurs receiving up to €50,000 in grant funding from Women Entrepreneurship for Africa

June 2, 2022
Catherine Muraga succeeds Jack Ngare as new MD Microsoft African Development Centre

Catherine Muraga succeeds Jack Ngare as new MD Microsoft African Development Centre

June 2, 2022
Increasing Women in STEM to Drive Growth Across Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector

Increasing Women in STEM to Drive Growth Across Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector

June 1, 2022
Please login to join discussion
  • Advertise
  • Jobs
  • Freelance Gigs
  • Motoring
  • Money

© 2022 TechMoran Ltd, All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Startups
    • About US
  • Reviews
  • Business
  • Motoring
  • Blockchain
    • Crypto News
  • Insider
    • Obituaries
  • Women
  • Hacks & Facts
    • How To
  • Editions
    • US Edition
    • India Edition
    • MENA Edition
    • Asia Edition
    • Europe Edition
    • International Edition
  • Columnists

© 2022 TechMoran Ltd, All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Go to mobile version
%d bloggers like this: