The International Trade Centre (ITC) on Wednesday announced the launch of SheTrades in the Gambia with a view to enable the country’s women entrepreneurs to benefit from greater economic returns.
A country-specific Chapter of the global SheTrades Initiative, which aims to connect 3 million women to markets by 2021, SheTrades in the Gambia will initially focus on strengthening skills and capacities of women entrepreneurs in the agricultural and textiles and garments sectors.
Jointly funded by the International Trade Centre, Enhanced Integrated Framework and the OPEC Fund for International Development, SheTrades in the Gambia will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE).
A countrywide network of institutional and private-sector partners will also be tapped into to ensure that the project reaches and boosts the competitiveness of women entrepreneurs across the Gambia.
Gambian Vice-President Ousainou Darboe said: ‘To ensure trade inclusiveness, particularly the inclusion of women, we need to address the lack of adequate sex – disaggregated data, low skills and market access opportunities.
In this regard I thank the International Trade Centre for its work in connecting women to global trade and also for launching the SheTrades in the Gambia.’
Other speakers at the launching of SheTrades in the Gambia included Minister of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment Amadou Sanneh, who set out the objectives and benefits of participating in the initiative.
Women entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as DHL, the global logistics company, shared insights on how women-owned business can succeed and overcome challenges preventing their participation in trade.
Women entrepreneurs attending the launch were also invited to attend a technical workshop on competitiveness, which set out to prepare them to seize trade opportunities.
The day will also include an Investment Tank organized in partnership by the International Trade Centre’s Gambia Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) and the Leadership Gambia Institute. The session will feature young female entrepreneurs pitching for investments.
Women entrepreneurs in the Gambia wishing to join the SheTrades Initiative Call are encouraged to do so online via the following link: bit.ly/2H9yayJ
About the International Trade Centre – The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.
ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
About SheTrades – The International Trade Centre’s SheTrades initiative aims to connect three million women to market by 2021 and rallies stakeholders around the world to work together on seven actions to address trade barriers and create greater opportunities for women entrepreneurs.