The Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries (EIF) brings together six international agencies to help least developed countries integrate trade capacity building in national development strategies.

By involving women in national economic policy, Canada is forging a model for empowering women and building the strength of domestic and global marketplaces.

Women are stepping forward as never before. They are becoming leaders, financial managers, business strategists, risk-takers and entrepreneurs.

By incorporating gender equality into trade policy, Cambodia is empowering women and boosting national economic performance.

French poet and writer Louis Aragon once said, “Woman is the future of man”, expressing his vision of a society that allows women to be more in charge of its destiny. It sounds so inspirational, but can it be realized?

Around the world, women play a major role in the production of coffee. A handful of international associations are working to ensure their access to equal ownership and employment conditions.

In Tunisia, the ACCESS! Programme for African Businesswomen in International Trade is paving the way for women artisans to export their products.

Uganda is changing its policies and planning to bring women closer to the heart of export strategy.

While women own about 40% of private businesses in Uganda and some 30% of women in business are exporting, women’s role in socio-economic development is still seen to be peripheral.

Governments have committed to eradicating all forms of descrimination against women. Enlightened trade policies take the gender dimensioninto account.

In the current financial crisis, governments need to provide opportunities for women living in poverty by including them in policy dialogue.

Bringing women together to share skills, contacts and positive attitudes could help us all to navigate through these uncertain economic times.

The Arab International Women’s Forum is enhancing the leadership capacity of Arab women by promoting their role in the economy and public life.

In many nations, the fight against poverty is both an ethical issue and a security imperative. Women leaders are convening in Liberia to commit to action to empower women at all levels to become effective leaders as it contributes to peace and international security - the precondition for development and poverty reduction.

A selection of professional business women’s organizations, associations and events

The United Nations has a wide range of information resources related to women in the global economy.

They look at women’s business and trade issues on topics as diverse as labour rights, intellectual property, agriculture and more. Here is a sample of what is available.

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.

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.

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.

Women entrepreneurs en vogue: 39 women-owned businesses from nine African countries participate in intra-African fashion trade for the first time

20 businesswomen from 13 developing countries pursue new export markets for their international business services

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

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.

Targeted programmes help women exporters get the assistance they need.

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.

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.

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.

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

Outsourcing business support services, coupled with e-trade possibilities, offers increased opportunities for women in developing and transition economies to export services.

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.

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

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.

1. Publicize successes and innovations of women-owned service firms