Project Brief
Making Trade Work For Women in West Africa
Implementation Partners
AfCFTA, ECOWAS, UEMOA / WAEMU, Supervisory Ministries, West African Chambers of Commerce, West African Cross-Border Association, WACTAF/AOCTAH, Regional and National Women's Associations/Networks, ENDA-CACID, Engineering and Business Development Consulting Firm (EBDCF), and participating partner states (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria).
Implementation Period
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Project Participants
Women In Trade
Funding Partners
Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.
Project Rationale
The Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa project, led by CECI and TradeMark Africa with funding from Global Affairs Canada, aims to support
80,000 traders—at least 70% of whom are women—by enhancing their access to markets, financial services, and sustainable trade practices while addressing gender-based barriers at border crossings.
Despite West Africa’s trade potential, women traders face numerous challenges that hinder their economic progress. They often grapple with limited access to markets, financial services, and essential training opportunities. Challenges specific to women include earning lower incomes and running smaller-scale businesses compared to their male counterparts, as well as facing harassment, gender-based violence (GBV), and systemic barriers at border crossings. A World Bank study along the Tema-Ouagadougou and Abidjan-Lagos corridors revealed that women make up 38% and 61% of traders respectively, many of whom have reported negative experiences stemming from border and market infrastructure. These issues are exacerbated by women’s additional burdens of productive and reproductive roles. This project will address these economic and social disparities by promotingsustainable trade practices that uplift marginalised groups, with a particular focus on women.
A consortium of partners, combining local knowledge with regional influence, is key to the project’s success. By working together, civil society organisations, women’s organisations, government ministries related to trade and women’s rights, and regional bodies will create a more equitable trading environment that supports and empowers women traders across West Africa.
Quick Facts
6 year project (2024–2030)
Budget of $19,700,000 CAD funded by Global Affairs Canada with 989,523 CAD in contribution from CECI and TMA
6 countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria
Will directly impact an estimated 80,000 persons over five years, with at least 70% being women traders.
It will also indirectly benefit around 20,000 additional traders and sensitise more than 50,000 individuals through various campaigns.
A consortium of partners, combining local knowledge with regional influence, is key to the project’s success. By working together, civil society organisations, women’s organisations, government ministries related to trade and women’s rights, and regional bodies will create a more equitable trading environment that supports and empowers women traders across West Africa.
Implementation Strategy
- Enhance border safety and gender sensitivity - Increase the capacity of border officials to protect and respect the rights of women and informal cross-border traders. This includes enhancing safety and security and reducing gender-based violence, thereby ensuring women traders can participate equally in trade.
- Implement Gender-Responsive Trade Policies - Support the review and implementation of gender responsive trade policies, regulations, and procedures by regional and national actors. This also involves enhancing cross-border coordination to resolve challenges and develop frameworks ensuring gender inclusivity.
- Develop inclusive regional value chains - Despite their organisation into associations and networks, women remain underrepresented in decision-making within trade policy ecosystems in West Africa. The project will support women traders to leverage regional market opportunities and improve livelihoods in an environmentally sustainable manner. This includes boosting their capacity and knowledge of market opportunities, improving access to innovative financial services, and enhancing their understanding of sustainable trade practices.
- Strengthen women’s associations - Empower women traders' associations and networks to uphold and advocate for their rights, ensuring their voices are heard in strategic decision-making spaces.