About the project

• Digital skills and leadership in Ghana, Mexico and Viet Nam: We work with small businesses and young entrepreneurs to strengthen their digital capabilities, improve their online presence and adopt e-commerce platforms, digital payment solutions and emerging AI tools to grow their businesses. The programme adopts a blended curriculum, comprising online trainings, technical masterclasses and in-person workshops and personalized coaching.
• Tailored coaching to turn skills into business growth: Selected businesses receive customized support focused on tangible areas such as digital maturity, e-commerce, store optimization, online marketing, payment gateways, customer loyalty strategies and digital business planning. In Ghana, 90% of coaching participants expanded their online presence, while 22% reported immediate revenue growth. In Mexico, 54% of coaching participants secured new commercial agreements.
• Market access and buyer connections for businesses: The programme helps small businesses move from training to concrete market opportunities through trade fairs, B2B facilitation, buyer engagement and commercial follow-up. In Viet Nam, we took eight small businesses to the Viet Nam Food Expo 2025 with a co-branded SheTrades–UPS pavilion, pre-event coaching on trade fair readiness, and direct B2B meeting facilitation. All eight made new contacts and 88% closed new sales.
• Digital financial inclusion at scale in India’s informal economy. With SEWA, we trained 12 master trainers who then delivered sessions to 4,390 nano and micro entrepreneurs across Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Participants learned to use mobile wallets, digital payment platforms, and business accounting apps, with ongoing one-on-one support to make the change stick.
• Global reach through the SheTrades Academy. Eight UPS-funded e-learning modules cover logistics, Incoterms, international shipping, sustainability and business resilience. They are available in English, French and Spanish. Since launch, 5,583 entrepreneurs have enrolled.
• Advocacy for inclusive trade: The programme leverages high-level events and global platforms, such as the WTO-ITC High Level Event at MC13, to showcase practical solutions for small businesses and position the SheTrades and UPS WEP as a successful model of UN-private sector partnership.