Inclusive trade: SheTrades initiative

    Overview

    Summary

    ITC FOR EVERY WOMAN, EVERYWHERE. 

    ITC recognizes that Gender Equality is a right in and of itself and a requisite for sustainable development. All women everywhere have the right to a decent income, employment, working conditions and a choice and voice in shaping their economic context. Over the next four years, ITC will support a broad universe of women (entrepreneurs, producers, workers, young women, small-scale cross border traders), by leveraging trade and public procurement, mobilising SheTrades Hubs and high-level champions, and tapping into partnerships. The implementation strategy will be scaled up, inclusive, results-oriented and future-focused.

    ITC’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan identifies gender as one of the five impact areas to deliver an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future. 

     Our Vision by 2025 is as follows:

    1.       ITC is recognised as an agenda-setter on empowering women to trade, through the SheTrades Initiative 

    2.       Through ITC support, BSOs, market partners and financial institutions develop world-class women in trade programmes 

    3.       Women trade more and on better terms, hold more decent jobs, and a stronger voice in trade 

    4.       ITC is a trusted and effective partner to deliver on the A4T/gender agenda 

    5.       ITC has an effective coordinated response to addressing the trade and gender challenge

    Partners

    Sustainable Development Goals

    This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Projects

    Context

    What is the SheTrades Initiative? 

    Our SheTrades Initiative has changed the economic lives of three million women in 30 countries by connecting them to markets. We have opened 12 regional hubs across Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and Europe, and we continue to grow. 

    The Initiative centres on empowering women engaging in international trade and creating a women-inclusive fairer business ecosystem. We help them overcome barriers and, with them, identify areas that urgently need to be addressed. 

    Consultations with global thought leaders reveal persisting barriers between key actors and the building blocks of women’s enterprise development: gender-disaggregated research, inclusive policy, skills development, access to markets and finance.  

    SheTrades works across countries, regions and stakeholders to champion quality data on women’s participation in trade. We work with policymakers to level the playing field for women, leverage partnerships with the public and private sectors, and connect women to markets and learning opportunities through our one-stop online platform, SheTrades.com.  

    The Initiative is a proud contributor to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

     

    ITC SheTrades beneficiary works with over 50,000 smallholder farmers to turn avocado rejects into high-quality oil that is exported to Europe, US, and Asia.

    Video

    6 July 2022
    Faces of SheTrades

    Video playlists

    Resources

    ITC contact

    Judith
    Fessehaie
    Email
    jfessehaie [at] intracen.org