Publications

Young entrepreneurs face markedly higher barriers than their older peers to access finance and expand their business. The International Trade Centre, through its YE! Community, has surveyed young entrepreneurs to understand their main funding needs and challenges they face when trying to obtain...

This report provides policymakers with recommendations on how to build the resilience of women-led businesses in the long term. This includes policy actions to improve the competitiveness of women-led businesses, address the barriers they face when participating in trade, and make the policy...

This report applies a gender lens framework to government procurement through the public provision, consumption and employment channels. It identifies opportunities to develop a gender lens for government procurement in the World Trade Organization to inform and advance the debate among negotiators,...

This report identifies how World Trade Organization negotiators and signatories can mainstream gender considerations through the negotiations on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD). It examines policies and regulations that can encourage investment that attracts women-owned businesses and...

This report advises governments on tackling gender inequality and promoting women’s economic empowerment when implementing the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA). It recommends helping women traders access vital information about their rights, border crossing times,...

This report supports the World Trade Organization (WTO) Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender by offering an analytical framework outlining trade and trade-related impacts on women (and men) through the employment, consumption and public provision channels. It presents a step-by-step approach...

E-commerce is a vital part of commercial activity, yet few provisions on digital trade reference gender equality. This report explores policy reforms needed to bridge the gender divide on digital access, adoption and usage. The report recommends building e-commerce capacity focused on gender...

Le manque de connaissances sur les options existantes et les démarches associées, la difficulté à comprendre les termes financiers et le manque de garanties empêchent les femmes de rechercher un financement. Ce rapport s’appuie sur l’expérience de bailleurs de fonds qui appliquent...

This guide offers policymakers and trade practitioners practical, step-by-step advice on how to mainstream gender concerns into the work of their trade ministries, small business ministries and trade support institutions.

Women-owned businesses account for only 1% of public procurement.This report provides policymakers, statistical offices and procurement officers with tools for reform. It advises on how to design a roadmap, implement preferential policies and other measures, and monitor progress, drawing on case...

This report presents recommendations to boost the participation of women in trade through free trade agreements. Policymakers and trade negotiators will find a new toolkit to gauge gender responsiveness in their agreements. These lessons are based on a research assessment of 73 selected free trade...

Thanks to a more services-based economy and the prestige associated with women’s entrepreneurship, new opportunities allow Nigerian women to play a more active role in business.Nigerian businesswomen need support for registration and certification, banking, skills development and flexible work...