SheTrades Hubs gather as UK celebrates milestone in trade and gender
The United Kingdom reviewed its trade and gender performance with the SheTrades Outlook tool it helped create, then hosted representatives of SheTrades Hubs from 19 countries in London.
As the flagship ITC programme for women in trade, SheTrades brings together expertise and partners worldwide. The Hubs Annual Meeting in London took stock of how 19 SheTrades Hubs on three continents have helped women navigate a turbulent year in international trade.
As the flagship ITC programme for women in trade, SheTrades brings together expertise and partners worldwide. The Hubs Annual Meeting in London took stock of how 19 SheTrades Hubs on three continents have helped women navigate a turbulent year in international trade.
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News update
United Kingdom
10 OCTOBER 2025
From 7 to 9 October, representatives of the host institutions of 19 SheTrades Hubs gathered in London for their third Annual Meeting. Hub host institutions shared lessons and discussed strategic approaches to advance trade within and beyond the network.
Three new Hubs – in Sri Lanka, India and Brazil – joined the network this year, while ZimTrade outlined plans for the forthcoming SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub.
Over three days, Hub leaders discussed market access and impact measurement. They also connected with the commercial attaché of the High Commission and Embassies of their respective countries in London, as well the UK-based chambers of commerce and business associations.
The Hubs Annual Meeting followed a SheTrades Outlook workshop in London on 6 October. SheTrades Outlook is a tool for assessing the policy environment for women in trade. The United Kingdom created the tool with ITC in 2019. Since then, 64 countries have onboarded the tool to inform policymaking. In 2023, the United Kingdom used the tool to assess its own policies, bringing the tool back home.
As SheTrades marks its 10th anniversary, policy and business representatives met at the SheTrades Outlook workshop to review findings from 12 institutions. Drawing on ITC’s new publication on SheTrades Outlook’s UK findings, discussions highlighted progress made in domestic policies and programmes and through the UK’s development strategies abroad.
Officials from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Business and Trade, other government departments and agencies, and private sector partners discussed the results, challenges and opportunities. They pointed to collaboration opportunities, such as promoting SheTrades Outlook among WTO members to support inclusive policymaking and sharing good practices globally.
Three new Hubs – in Sri Lanka, India and Brazil – joined the network this year, while ZimTrade outlined plans for the forthcoming SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub.
Over three days, Hub leaders discussed market access and impact measurement. They also connected with the commercial attaché of the High Commission and Embassies of their respective countries in London, as well the UK-based chambers of commerce and business associations.
The Hubs Annual Meeting followed a SheTrades Outlook workshop in London on 6 October. SheTrades Outlook is a tool for assessing the policy environment for women in trade. The United Kingdom created the tool with ITC in 2019. Since then, 64 countries have onboarded the tool to inform policymaking. In 2023, the United Kingdom used the tool to assess its own policies, bringing the tool back home.
As SheTrades marks its 10th anniversary, policy and business representatives met at the SheTrades Outlook workshop to review findings from 12 institutions. Drawing on ITC’s new publication on SheTrades Outlook’s UK findings, discussions highlighted progress made in domestic policies and programmes and through the UK’s development strategies abroad.
Officials from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Business and Trade, other government departments and agencies, and private sector partners discussed the results, challenges and opportunities. They pointed to collaboration opportunities, such as promoting SheTrades Outlook among WTO members to support inclusive policymaking and sharing good practices globally.
The United Kingdom is proud of its partnership with the ITC SheTrades Initiative through the UK-funded SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme as part of our commitment to inclusive and sustainable trade. Our Trade Strategy prioritises opening global markets, empowering entrepreneurs, and driving innovation – values that align perfectly with the SheTrades’ mission to connect women-owned businesses to international opportunities. By championing women in trade, we strengthen our global partnerships and unlock new engines of growth.
Paul Whittingham
Deputy Director, Trade for Development, FCDO and DBT
A ten-year milestone
The London events came as the SheTrades Initiative marked its 10th anniversary. Together, they showed how SheTrades Outlook and SheTrades Hubs have positioned themselves as engines for advancing the women and trade agenda. They are also mutually reinforcing. The former equips governments to design inclusive trade policies. The latter acts as a resource centre on the ground, connecting women entrepreneurs to skills, markets and investment, building partnerships, and supporting gender-inclusive policy reform; they also serve as a node through which impact can reach a fast-growing global community.
Both events were supported by UK International Development through the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme.
Both events were supported by UK International Development through the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme.
We thank the Government of the United Kingdom for its leadership on trade and gender, and for trusting ITC to deliver this impactful programme. It has been an incredible decade for SheTrades. We have built a legacy of tools, networks and expertise that will keep delivering in the years ahead. As we look to the next ten years, we will keep our ambitions high, working with FCDO and the SheTrades Hubs to place women at the forefront of the green and digital transitions.
Judith Fessehaie
Head of ITC SheTrades Initiative
9 October, London – Representatives from SheTrades Hubs host institutions reviewed progress and discussed how to strengthen support for their members.
6 October, London – At the STO workshop, UK policymakers explored how to improve skills, care policies and gender data, and share good practices widely
7 October, London – SheTrades Hubs representatives and the FCDO marked the seventh year of the SheTrades Commonwealth+ programme
The UK Government recognises that women’s economic empowerment is essential to achieving inclusive economic growth. Through our partnership with the International Trade Centre on the SheTrades Outlook tool, rolled out in the UK in 2023, we have been able to better reflect on our strengths and areas for improvement in advancing gender equality across different areas of the economy. We welcomed the opportunity to discuss these at the SheTrades Outlook validation workshop and will continue to take this important work forward.
Sophie Brice
Deputy Director, Cross-Cutting Trade Policy, DBT