ITC SheTrades: Empowering Women in the AfCFTA —Phase II

The ‘SheTrades: Empowering Women in the AfCFTA — Phase II’ project contributes to ITC’s One Trade Africa strategy on African regional integration. It aims to empower women entrepreneurs to benefit from trade opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area and provides women’s business associations with capacity building, networking platforms and support for effective policy advocacy on AfCFTA Phase II issues.
Implemented between October 2021 and March 2024 across the continent.
About the project
The ‘SheTrades: Empowering Women in the African Continental Free Trade Area—Phase II’ project contributes to the women in trade component of ITC One Trade Africa strategy. The project aims to empower women entrepreneurs to benefit from trade opportunities created by the AfCFTA and contribute to a more inclusive AfCFTA by:
  • Providing women’s business associations with capacity building, networking platforms and support for effective policy advocacy on AfCFTA Phase II issues
  • Leveraging the private sector to foster women’s economic empowerment through the AfCFTA;
  • Working with ECOWAS to strengthen the ecosystem for women;
  • Promoting public private sector dialogues on women and trade across selected countries;
  • Delivering technical support to policymakers.
Funded by GIZ, the project is implemented in close cooperation with the AfCFTA Secretariat, the African Union Commission and regional economic communities (RECs) in the continent.
Milestones
  • Developed a strategy and roadmap for an AfCFTA Continental Network for WBAs;
  • Finalized Articles of association and by-laws for the Continental Network;
  • Convened consultations across the continent with over 120 WBAs in Africa;
  • Organized a series of three-day AfCFTA export readiness bootcamps in Benin, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda and Togo;
  • Organized a three-part webinar series to 15 ECOWAS member states on AfCFTA topics. Topics include rules of origin, tariff concessions, non-tariff barriers monitoring, the Pan-African Payment System, the African Trade Observatory and market intelligence tools. A total of 526 women entrepreneurs were trained.
  • Hosted a regional meeting focused on women and youth;
  • Organized three policy dialogues on the ITC SheTrades Outlook policy tool and the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Rwanda, Malawi and Niger.
Resources
  • Reforming Public Policy – Step by Step: An Introduction to Dialogue & Advocacy for Women’s Business Associations – Available in English and French
  • Products & Markets with Export Growth Potential in COMESA – Available in English
  • Survey of African Women’s Business Associations – Available in English
  • AfCFTA Policy Dialogue with Women’s Business Associations: Key Outcomes and Recommendations – Available in English
  • Dialogue sur les politiques de la ZLECAf avec les associations professionnelles de femmes: résultats et recommandations – Available in French
SheTrades AfCFTA policy briefs

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