SheTrades Commonwealth Programme

SheTrades Global

Overview

The SheTrades initiative at the International Trade Centre (ITC) 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.

Our flagship event, SheTrades Global, brings together women entrepreneurs from all these regions. For women whose businesses are ready to export, they have a unique chance to connect meet potential buyers, investors and partners.

Previous editions of SheTrades Global — held in Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Brazil, Rwanda, Mexico, and China — included representatives from over 85 countries and generated over $80 million of new business for women entrepreneurs. 

Participation is free.

Unfortunately, after careful consideration of events over the past two years, as well as consultation with beneficiaries and stakeholders, ITC decided to cancel the 8th edition of SheTrades Global.

The SheTrades Initiative, and our partners in this endeavor, remain fully committed to continuing to create opportunities for women to trade across our collective, global portfolio. Please refer to SheTrades.com for information on our numerous opportunities and events, and for updates.

As the African Continental Free Trade Area prepared to begin, the conference heard how the common market needs to deliver for women.

Read about the event

The conference was featured at the 2018 International Business Festival, a major global festival of trade and investment held every two years in Liverpool. The Festival attracted industry leaders, international delegations and companies from across the world looking to expand their trade footprint.
This year will highlight four sectors – beauty and wellness; IT and business-process outsourcing; textiles and apparel; and tourism.

Read remarks by the ITC executive director

See the winners of the SheTrades Investment Challenge

Before becoming SheTrades Global, the conference was known as the Women Vendors Exhibition and Forum (WVEF). This is the premier global event to get inspired, do business and create lifetime opportunities for women entrepreneurs by providing training, improving skills and facilitating meetings with buyers.

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Gambian woman smiling at the camera in front of a wall of colourful fabric bags behind her on shelves
Original URL
https://www.facebook.com/shetradesgambia
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SheTrades Rwanda marks impressive project results 2
SheTrades Rwanda marks impressive project results 2
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Two people discussing products at a trade fair in Morocco
SheTrades Morocco SIAL 2022
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The premier global business event to connect women entrepreneurs with potential buyers, investors and partners to grow their exports

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Cyan
Topic (for relations)
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Flagship events (for relations)
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Contact
Email
womenandtrade@intracen.org
SheTrades Vietnam Hub: Supporting Vietnamese women-led businesses to Build Forward Better

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Cyan
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Event type
Training
External ID
TP-HU7558
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Overview

<p>Virtual bootcamp to support Vietnamese women entrepreneurs to build forward better</p><ul><li>Topics covered: Special financial offerings for women during Covid-19, assessing gaps in financing needs, crisis management toolkit and SheTrades Virtual learning, grasping customer trends and market routes to position your products in local and international markets, how to use ITC Trade Maps, enhancing branding and communications</li></ul>

SheTrades Commonwealth Programme
Contact
First name
Simon
Last name
Balfe
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Sustainable Development Goals

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

<p>The aim of the programme is to <strong>increase the participation of women-owned businesses in trade in order to increase economic growth and job creation in Commonwealth countries</strong>. With interventions at the beneficiary-, firm-, institutional-, national- and inter-national level, it will: &nbsp;</p><ul><li>Address policy change at the national level, making trade-related policies gender responsive;</li><li>Facilitate new/better linkages with buyers and investors internationally; connecting women to opportunities and facilitating gender sensitive business practice; &nbsp;</li><li>Support BSOs and the private sector to strengthen the business environment for women owned businesses;</li><li>Support BSOs to target women owned business directly to improve capacity; combining face to face training with coaching, mentoring and exposure to buyers.</li></ul>

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Project
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External ID
B578