In a major push for economic empowerment, TradeMark Africa has pledged $20 million to support Ghanaian women engaged in cross-border trade. The initiative aims to enhance market access, provide financial support, and equip traders with essential skills to thrive in regional and international markets.
TradeMark Africa, with CAD 20 million from Canada, launched an initiative to eliminate trade barriers and support Ghanaian women in cross-border trade
TradeMark Africa, a leading trade aid organization, has launched an initiative to support Ghanaian women engaged in cross-border trade across Africa.
The initiative with funding from the Canadian government totaling CAD 20 million, aims to eliminate trade barriers, reduce gender-based discrimination at borders, and enhance regional value chains that benefit women.
Speaking to the media at the launch, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TradeMark Africa, David Beer, stressed the importance of ensuring that trade benefits all segments of society, particularly women.
Many reports have revealed that women traders often face significant challenges, including harassment, excessive bureaucracy, and lack of access to financing and trade networks. By streamlining border processes and ensuring gender-sensitive policies, TradeMark Africa aims to level the playing field for women entrepreneurs in the region.
The project will also focus on strengthening Ghana‘s integration into the AfCFTA – the world’s largest free trade area – by enhancing regional value chains that prioritize women’s participation.
This strategic move is expected to create new economic opportunities for women-led businesses, boosting their competitiveness in the continental market.
“At Trademark Africa, we are an organisation that exists to reduce the time and the cost of trading across borders. We are delighted to be launching this program with the support of the Canadian government, 20 million Canadian dollars, and in partnership with the NGO in order to make it easier for women to trade across borders. We believe that it is extremely important that trade benefits all parts of society,” the CEO of TradeMark said at the launch.
He further explained that “this project will focus on reducing gender-based discrimination at borders, working with border officials and traders. It will also enhance Ghana’s integration into the AfCFTA and the ability of women to benefit from that. And we will work on improving regional value chains, in particular those that benefit women.”
Experts have often maintained that as Africa moves towards deeper economic integration, targeted interventions like these are needed to clamp down on trade barriers and create equitable access to economic opportunities.
TradeMark Africa is reinforcing its commitment to fostering trade policies that work for everyone, ensuring that women who play a critical role in Africa’s informal and formal trade sectors are not left behind.
