ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme

The ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), aims to foster an enabling business ecosystem and improve the competitiveness of women-led businesses to trade by promoting inclusive policy and data and engaging women-led businesses, business support organizations, and private-sector partners in the Commonwealth countries and its key trading partners, including the ASEAN region.
Implemented between 2018 and 2024 in selected Commonwealth countries and its key trading partners.
About the project
Launched in April 2018, the ITC SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme targets all levels of stakeholders within the business ecosystem, including women-led businesses, business support organizations, private-sector partners and policymakers, to foster an enabling business ecosystem for women to trade.
Milestones
Since April 2018, the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme has:
  • Directly supported over 4,000 women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses in the Commonwealth countries and its key trading countries by providing almost 1,000 training and coaching on international trade in multiple languages;
  • Helped to generate over £32 million of sales for those women-owned businesses in sectors ranging from tourism to agrifood and from textiles to IT;
  • Supported the creation of over 6,600 jobs, of which over 70% went to women, in those businesses and their supply chains;
  • Worked with almost 100 business support organizations, among which 13 organizations are hosting SheTrades Hubs, to create an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs to succeed in international trade;
  • Launched and rolled-out SheTrades Outlook to 52 countries, which has helped to collect data and best practices on trade policy that affect women entrepreneurs and their business, and created the SheTrades Outlook network, which has connected government officials from 26 countries to share best practices and lessons learned on trade and gender agenda;
  • Developed 12 SheTrades Outlook policy briefs and engaged country-based government officials from 33 countries to raise their awareness on good practices through the SheTrades Outlook Network;
  • Supported approximately 20% Commonwealth countries to make their trade and trade-related policies more gender inclusive, including expanding market opportunities for women entrepreneurs through public procurement.

Resources

  • Women-led businesses in Mozambique’s energy sector: Challenges and opportunities Available in English
  • Mainstreaming gender in free trade agreements – Available in English and Spanish.
  • Making public procurement work for women – Available in English, French and Spanish.
  • From design to evaluation: Making trade policy work for women – Available in English and French.
  • Exporting to Great Britain: A handbook for Bangladeshi women-led businesses in the women’s accessories, textiles and apparel and home décor sectors. Available in English.

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