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Three Kenyan farmers growing chillies for export in Lawan village, Barwessa, Kenya. |
Women's Empowerment (MDG 3)
The entrepreneurial drive and potential of businesswomen to contribute to economic growth and export development are still widely untapped in many countries. ITC supports women in business and trade as a key driver towards export success for good. Increasing women’s access to economic resources and trade opportunities helps to increase their share in wage employment and contributes significantly to their economic empowerment.
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Policy Makers
The gender dimension of export strategies: Harnessing the untapped potential of businesswomen through national planning In 2007, ITC developed “Guidelines for Strategy Makers to Include a Gender Dimension into Export Strategies.” The Gender Guidelines are targeted for strategy makers and provide a specific methodology for them to incorporate gender into national planning efforts.
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Trade Support Institutions
ACCESS!: Over 600 African businesswomen access export opportunities through training, networking, mentoring and web-based trade intelligence ACCESS!, a successful regional trade support programme launched by ITC in 11 African countries and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency and several other donors, helps businesswomen access international trade opportunities.
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TAMACALI design jewellery from Mali at
the “Women entrepreneurs en vogue” buyers/sellers meeting in Niamey, Niger. |
Enterprises
Women entrepreneurs en vogue: 39 women-owned businesses from nine African countries participate in intra-African fashion trade for the first time
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Deals to increase exports of business services among Africans were a highlight of ITC’s Bridges Across Borders event. |
Bridges across Borders
20 businesswomen from 13 developing countries pursue new export markets for their international business services
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© Photo Bianco |
Integrating Women
Targeting entrepreneurs “Our slogan in the Egyptian Business Women’s Association is: financial independence gives you the power of choice and voice. We have a marketing committee that goes to women entrepreneurs to see what products they have and what they need, such as product development, finishing and quality control. We bring them together into sectors — we have a very good sector for garments, textiles and jewellery. And we try to create marketing tools — brochures and CDs — and organize fairs locally, regionally and internationally. If they cannot be present, we make the contacts for them.”
Amany Asfour, President, Egyptian Business Women’s Association
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© Reuters/I. Naymushin |
Creating Wealth, Reducing Poverty
By Patricia R. Francis, Executive Director, ITC
A key to transform economies and meet the Millennium Development Goal to end poverty by 2015 is ensuring that trade becomes part of development policy, with a central role for women and small business.
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© J. N. Musoke Export training is helping businesswomen in Uganda reach new markets. |
Changing Mindsets with ACCESS! to Markets
By Juliet Nazziwa Musoke, Executive Director, Uganda Flower Exporters Association, formerly with the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association
Targeted programmes help women exporters get the assistance they need.
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Coffee Kids: Helping Families of Poor Producers
By Morten Scholer, ITC
Coffee Kids gives coffee-growing communities a hand up, not a handout. Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work in the coffee sector. Some offer funds or sponsorship. Others implement programmes in the field. Some work only in the coffee sector, others don’t.
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Photo: ITC International networking lies at the heart of successful services exporting. ITC programmes create opportunities for SMEs to make vital global contacts. |
Making the Most of a Services Sector Revolution
There’s growing recognition that “services do matter” to developing countries. The global services sector is undergoing a revolution that enables small firms in these countries to compete in world markets. ITC, reacting to the explosive growth of trade opportunities, has upgraded its programme to equip exporters with all they need to tackle competitive international markets.
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Focus on Women Exporters
By Natalie Domaisen, ITC
The results of ITC’s work with women in trade are challenging perceptions of the role of women exporters in economic and social development — and the need to support them.
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Women in the Global Economy
By Natalie Domeisen
It’s a charged topic: many Trade Forum readers will come to it with a firm opinion, based on their own life experiences. Some of us believe that no differences exist between men and women in international business, some champion ‘empowerment’ at every opportunity, while others espouse the many shades of grey between these two
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Integrating Women in the Global Economy
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Helping Women Export Services
By Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants
Outsourcing business support services, coupled with e-trade possibilities, offers increased opportunities for women in developing and transition economies to export services.
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Building Skills for Women Service Exporters
By Doreen Conrad, ITC
Most women-owned firms are in the services sector. Business training can build the expertise and confidence necessary for these firms to export their services efficiently.
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Scheduling is important for women entrepreneurs, who juggle work and family responsibilities. |
Canada Releases Report on Women Entrepreneurs
By Natalie Domeisen, ITC
In late October 2003, Canada released the report of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs. The task force was chaired by Sarmite Bulte, a member of Canada’s parliament and former president of the Canadian Association of Women Entrepreneurs. For Trade Forum readers who design export strategies with women entrepreneurs’ needs in mind, the report is a useful ref
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Bridging the Research Gap: A Profile of Women Entrepreneurs in Uganda
By Margaret Snyder, Founding Director, UNIFEM
Ugandan women form the majority of the country’s business people, in farming and small to medium-sized firms. Supportive national and local policies, and targeted international assistance, could help Ugandan women entrepreneurs increase exports and benefit the whole country.
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ITC’s Services Exporting Programme organized a workshop to promote exports among Nigerian women entrepreneurs in February 2003.
Left to right: Omotayo Omotosho, Chief Executive, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation; Dora Akunyili, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control; Femi Boyede, Chief Executive, Koinonia Enterprises.
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Boosting Services Exports in Nigeria: Strategies to Assist Women Entrepreneurs
By Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants, and Femi Boyede, Koinonia Entreprises
1. Publicize successes and innovations of women-owned service firmsToo few Nigerian women get national or international recognition. We recommend the creation of an umbrella organization for the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that deal with women entrepreneurs, in order to help coordinate both international assistance and training for women owners of service businesses, so that they can organize themselves to be more visible; establish awards programmes; and publicize success stories of Nigerian women who own service firms.
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