TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) launched a US$4.5 million Women and Trade (WAT) programme last week.
Funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the programme targets 25 000 women traders in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and South Sudan and will run for approximately one year. A second five-year phase is envisaged for 2017 with a USD 15million budget committed to the effort.
The Women and Trade (WaT) programme seeks to increase incomes and improve livelihoods for women traders and women-owned enterprises through capacity building, addressing trade barriers and advocacy for policies that will create an enabling environment for them to thrive.
Frank Matsaert, CEO of TMEA, said: “Historically women have been marginalised either overtly through violence or subtly by exclusion. It is therefore important to continually advocate for balanced frameworks and policy change that will nurture the growth of women in cross-border trading. Women’s inclusion is very important to improving the region’s overall business competitiveness.”
In addition to the 25 000 direct women beneficiaries, the programme will also engage border customs officials at 12 EAC border posts in policy dialogue and capacity development initiatives.
