Edison Yap

Globally, only 1% of government contracts are awarded to women-owned businesses. Who do you know would benefit from gender-responsive public procurement (#GRPP)? Let us know in the comments 👇and learn more about our global GRPP campaign: bit.ly/4bufjsQ

En #Ecuador, solo el 30% de los proveedores del gobierno son mujeres. Más de 2.000 productoras se unieron a #SheTrades para aprender a vender al Estado. Esta semana en Quito, 52 mujeres se reunieron con 13 instituciones públicas a través de nuestro proyecto financiado por Alemania (#i4Ag) para compartir lo que producen y conocer lo que buscan los compradores. … In #Ecuador, only 30% of government suppliers are women. Over 2,000 producers have joined #SheTrades to learn how to sell to the State. 52 women met 13 public institutions in Quito through our German-funded project (#i4Ag) to discuss what they produce and what buyers need. #MujeresEnElComercio | #ComprasPúblicas @ITCnews | @GIZEcuador | @AgriculturaEc | @Produccion_Ecu

Ideas put forth by regions include: 💡 Africa: Building buyer pipelines, tapping diaspora networks and promoting supplier diversity. 💡 Asia: Expanding export readiness through coaching, negotiation skills, certification and pricing for export. 💡 Caribbean and Latin America: Making trade missions and fairs more effective, capturing lessons and training local experts using market intelligence tools. The ideas born in London will shape stronger initiatives, new partnerships and opportunities for 7,000+ women entrepreneurs in the #SheTrades Hubs network.

🌟 And… it’s a wrap! 🌟 The 3rd #SheTrades Hubs Annual Meeting brought host institutions from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa to London 🇬🇧. Over 3 days, they explored how to strengthen their roles as Market Access Centres, track and share results more clearly, and use digital tools to tell the real stories of business growth. 🤝 Made possible with support from UK International Development.

12 standout trainers—chosen from 1,000+ applicants—are mastering coaching, pitching & negotiation in Nairobi to empower women-led businesses across Africa . Their mission? Train the trainers. Spark growth. Scale impact. @ITC_SheTrades & @eawibpIn

We’re kicking off the #SheTrades@10 Masterclass series with an expert-led session on Unlocking Global Markets with Trade Intelligence 📚🌍. Learn how to use the Global Trade Helpdesk to spot high-potential markets, understand trade trends, and make data-driven export decisions 💡📊. 📅 Date: 16 September ⏰ Time: 15:00–16:00 CEST Open to all women-led #SmallBusinesses 👩‍💼💼 Sign up once to join all sessions: bit.ly/41BtidX @ITCnews | @wto | @UNCTAD

Her cousin couldn’t eat milk chocolate, so her family began making their own. In her grandmother’s kitchen, Berenice de los Santos found a love for chocolate-making and for sharing the flavours of native cacao with the world. 📖 Read her full story and others 👉 shetrades.com/stories/ @ITCnews | @UPS | @UPSPolicy

📖 This week’s read, Find out how @ITCnews is helping small businesses from 🇷🇼, 🇧🇩, 🇺🇿 & others connect with Chinese markets, unlocking trade opportunities, strengthening value chains & expanding South–South cooperation. ➡️ More here: intracen.org/news-and-event…

ITC has developed a new strategy to help small businesses access finance. How? 1️⃣ ACCELERATE: Build SME and ecosystem readiness 2️⃣CATALYZE: Strengthen channels for capital access 3️⃣ENABLE: Advance policy and regulatory reforms Find more details in our new #TradeForum series⤵️

Happy New Month.😊 This month, the EU YEP – Tourism and Creative Industries project has exciting opportunities lined up for young people and women. We will be sharing the details soon.

Ecuador takes another leap forward to support women suppliers! The Government of #Ecuador has updated its national procurement rules to include official definitions of women-led and women-owned businesses. Based on international guidance (ISO IWA 34:2021), these definitions give public institutions a clear, shared way to identify women suppliers. This will help apply policies more consistently, track progress more accurately, and open up better access for women-led businesses across the country. The reform, published in Official Register No. 87, applies across all public institutions. It builds on earlier legal reforms and follows technical work under the SheTrades Ecuador project (#i4Ag), funded by @GIZEcuador, in close partnership with the @Produccion_Ecu; @SERCOPec ; and the Gender Parity Initiative Ecuador.

Together with @Visa, we have launched a new programme to support women and youth-led businesses in Kenya and South Africa. The programme will enhance the digital, financial and entrepreneurial capacities of MSMEs led by women and youth. ℹ️ bit.ly/41hrCpG

Going to the wrong trade fair, or the right one unprepared, can cost you. In this webinar, ITC experts share you how to: •󠁏󠁏Choose the right fair for your #SmallBusiness💼 󠁯•󠁏󠁏Prepare to stand out🌟 •󠁏󠁏Follow up with buyers to seal the deal🤝 The session is for African women entrepreneurs in processed foods. But the tips apply across sectors and regions.✨ Watch it here: bit.ly/451a8Af

✨ Want to launch or grow your #digital business? Women entrepreneurs and youth in Sub-Saharan Africa, this one’s for you! Join expert-led sessions in our @Visa She’s Next 7-part webinar series—your 360° crash course in building a thriving #SmallBusiness in today’s market. 🗓️ Starts 31 July 2025 🌍 Open to participants across #SSA 💻 Free and online Register now👉🏼bit.ly/3Ti1qXV @ITCnews | @Microsoft | @sedfa_dsbd | @AbsaKenya | @womhub

During my visit to The Gambia, I met with the mayor and talented MSME owners driving the country’s textile and fashion industry. By empowering women and youth with skills, The Gambia is accelerating progress on the #SDGs.

We tried for a Top 10, but it was simply too difficult. 😮‍💨 From the WTO-ITC SheTrades Summit in Abu Dhabi to the launch of three new hubs in Brazil, Ghana and the MENA region, here's a recap of our Top 15 moments in 2024. What's your favourite moment this year? Share them below 👇

How is #Indonesia 🇮🇩 supporting its women-led #SmallBusinesses? Swipe right 👇to find out. Access more findings in our #SheTrades Outlook Indonesia Policy Brief 🔗tinyurl.com/STOIndo @ITCnews | @FCDOGovUK | @UKinIndonesia | @Kemendag

When governments #ProcureFromHer, women-led businesses grow and consumers get to enjoy more innovative products and services. To learn more about our global campaign on gender-responsive public procurement 👉 bit.ly/4dKWF

¿Son una organización de apoyo empresarial (BSO) que apoya a #empresas lideradas por mujeres? El Fondo “Women Exporters in the Digital Economy” (#WEIDEFund) convoca a las organizaciones de apoyo empresarial a presentar su candidatura para ser nuestro socio nacional. Envíen su postulación antes del 13 de octubre 👉bit.ly/WEIDEBSO

At MC13 we launched the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Fund. Happy to formally open and operationalize the fund at an event on the sidelines of the Public Forum! With the signing of the $5 Million kick off contribution from the government of the United Arab Emirates to whom we are extremely grateful. This partnership between @WTO and @ITCnews is designed to enable women to scale up their participation in digital trade, in particular through enhancing exports. The fund will operate through the mechanism of competitions, for grants and technical assistance, in WTO member developing and least developed countries. More info on our website - encouraging all Business Support Organisations to apply! With @CokeHamilton and UAE Ambassador to the WTO H.E Abdelsalam Mohamed A. Al Ali.