Publications

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...

Being a women-owned company negatively affects the credibility of their business, say Indonesian women entrepreneurs in the services sector.

Women make up almost half of Kenya’s labour force, yet they remain on the margins of business ownership – only 9% of Kenya’s firms are majority women-owned.

A largely untapped resource, Sri Lankan women have the potential to play a significant role in the country’s economy. Given the right tools and support, women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka can achieve this potential and positively affect the global economy.

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...

Charting a roadmap to boost women's participation in trade is the focus of this report. The report shows where women-owned businesses are present, based on new ITC data, other data and case studies. It explains cultural and regulatory barriers as well as ways to facilitate access to finance,...

This guide helps small exporters understand how to obtain finance, outlining the credit process of financial institutions, pre-application preparation, finding appropriate lenders and loan repayment. Models for business plans and loan requests are included. The guide also examines barriers to...

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...

This study invites national legislators as well as all those involved in enhancing the national business environment to consider secured financing schemes that will allow an increase in the amount of credit offered to SMEs. The reasoning is simple: allow as collateral property that SMEs usually...

The coffee sector has a huge potential to contribute to poverty alleviation in East Africa, but the sector’s development is hampered by a lack of savings and credit facilities. Moreover, women’s access to financial services is even more restricted than that of men, and most women in rural areas...