Communiqués de presse

ITC and UPS prepare women entrepreneurs for the export market (en)

4 juin 2019
ITC Nouvelles
Part of ITC’s SheTrades initiative to connect 3 million women in international markets by 2021. ITC and UPS will conduct workshops to empower women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, promote new business opportunities and boost number of women-owned firms that export

(Lagos/Geneva) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) and UPS (NYSE:UPS), today announced a series of training seminars and workshops for women business owners, as part of the Nigeria chapter of ITC’s SheTrades initiative. The collaboration aims to increase the participation of women-owned businesses in trade by improving their competitiveness, providing solutions for trade logistics and strengthening their support ecosystem to generate business opportunities.

By bringing together UPS’s smart global logistics network and unparalleled knowledge in reaching the global markets with the grassroots networks of its partners, the UPS Women Exporters Program is helping the ITC SheTrades initiative to reach its goal of bringing 3 million women-owned businesses into international trade by 2021.

“Creating higher value entrepreneurship will benefit the society as a whole. Lowering the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and helping them connect to a global value chain will bolster economic growth and stimulate long-term benefits for the region. As more women pursue education and move into careers dominated by men, younger girls will have role models to show them new opportunities,” said Mark Martyn-Fisher, UPS Managing Director West Africa.

“Focusing on women’s education is a key investment for developing nations as female education rates are directly correlated with national economic growth. We’re delighted to partner with ITC, on the SheTrades initiative and bring UPS’s 112 years of logistics expertise serving 220 countries and territories to enable more women entrepreneurs to get access to necessary trainings to help them succeed and grow their businesses internationally.”

This first set of training sessions is supported by Style House Files and aims to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the information and tools needed to elevate their businesses within trade logistics on a global scale. At the end of the workshop, women-owned businesses will have improved their knowledge on key themes surrounding trade and exporting, as well as the major logistics concepts for exporting. The training sessions will take place in Lagos.

According to the latest World Economic Outlook report by International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigeria is seen as Africa’s largest economy. In the most recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey of Nigeria, 74% of female early-stage entrepreneurs reported that they were opportunity-driven entrepreneurs . Additionally, research shows that typically, necessity-driven entrepreneurship is more dominant in emerging economies like Nigeria. This was the same percentage recorded for men. Furthermore, an estimated 40% of Nigerian women are entrepreneurs, which is the highest female entrepreneurship rate globally.

’We are extremely pleased to be offering this series of workshop to women entrepreneurs in Nigeria in partnership with UPS,’ said Vanessa Erogbogbo, Chief of Sustainable and Inclusive Value Chains at ITC. ‘By combining our expertise, women participating in the training will be equipped with skills needed to succeed in reaching and competing in foreign markets. Optimizing women’s participation in trade is good for women and men, their families and for the Nigerian economy.’

According to an independent research commissioned by the International Trade Centre (ITC), only one out of five export businesses are led by women, hinting at a significant gap in the industry. In line with UPS’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy, this initiative will focus on addressing that specific gap by educating women entrepreneurs on the different opportunities available for them to explore within the space and building tailored training sessions.

During the event, a series of workshops and breakout sessions featuring renowned and successful women in trade will shed light on specific topics like: Packaging, marking, labelling, customs and documentation, as well as how women owned businesses can prepare for the export market. The workshop series will be tailored to women-owned businesses, business support organisations, and other stakeholders involved to help them enhance their marketing and logistics strategies in order to gain a competitive advantage.

The dates and series of events are as follows:
6 June: SheTrades and UPS Workshop
7 June: SheTrades in the Commonwealth Textiles and Apparel Mentoring Sessions
8-9 June: X Retail SheTrades Edition

For more information about the joint collaboration between UPS and ITC, please visit www.shetrades.com/en/projects/shetrades-and-ups.

For queries regarding SheTrades or the training sessions and workshops, please email: womenandtrade [at] intracen.org (womenandtrade[at]intracen[dot]org).

Notes for the editor

About the International Trade Centre - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Through the SheTrades initiative, the International Trade Centre aims to connect 3 million women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses to international markets by 2021. The initiative brings together stakeholders around the world to work on seven actions to address trade barriers and create greater opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

For more information, visit www.intracen.org. Follow ITC on Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn |

For more information on SheTrades, please visit www.shetrades.com/en

About UPS - UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. UPS was awarded America’s Best Customer Service company for Shipping and Delivery services by Newsweek magazine; Forbes Most Valuable Brand in Transportation; and top rankings on the JUST 100 list for social responsibility, the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, and the Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, among other prestigious rankings and awards. The company can be found on the web at ups.com or pressroom.ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com.

The company’s sustainability eNewsletter, UPS Horizons, can be found at ups.com/sustainabilitynewsletter.

To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.

International Trade Centre
Jarle Hetland, Media Officer
P: + 41 22 730 0145
M: + 41 79 582 9180
E: hetland [at] intracen.org (hetland[at]intracen[dot]org)

UPS
Maud Gaspar
+971 5654 83368
mgaspard [at] ups.com (mgaspard[at]ups[dot]com)