The Ethiopian Women Traders Association (EWTA) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) are joining forces to provide critical technical support to women-owned businesses in Ethiopia. Following a productive meeting between EWTA President Ms. Bereket and UNCTAD Chief Ms. Daine Sayinzoga, a new partnership will focus on enhancing skills and competitiveness in key areas, including : E-commerce Training: Equipping women with the tools to expand their market reach ; market information access : connecting businesses with potential buyers across Africa ; export diversification: assisting with strategies to enter new markets. This collaboration is a significant step toward fostering sustainable economic growth and empowering women to thrive in the global marketplace.

COMFWB-Zim partnered with the Zim-UK Business Chamber for a successful Trade INDABA.This event brought together business leaders and investors to boost trade and investment between Zimbabwe and the UK. A great showcase of what partnership can achieve!

A visit by the COMFWB Secretariat to the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) led to a discussion about a new strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to support women and youth entrepreneurs by focusing on key areas such as training, research, value addition, and market access. The ultimate goal of this engagement is to unlock industrial potential and create sustainable economic opportunities for people across the region.

High-level meeting with stakeholders in Zambia to present findings from the Kasumbalesa Gender Assessment Study. The assessment highlighted gender disparities impacting women traders at the border and will inform new policies

23 𝒅𝒚𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔, 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑭𝑾𝑩 𝑺𝒆𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 3-𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 ! Led by an expert International Digital Marketing Consultant from Benin, these women now possess the skills to create engaging content and effectively market their products online from their smartphones!

Leaders from the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) and the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Kenya (FOWEK) recently met with Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Trade, Mrs. Regina Ombam, to plan the 7th COMFWB Trade Fair and Business Conference. The event, scheduled to take place in Nairobi next August, aims to provide a vital platform for women entrepreneurs from across the COMESA region to showcase their products, access new markets, secure financing, and build partnerships. The meeting underscored a shared commitment to fostering economic growth and empowering women in business, with the annual Trade Fair serving as a key tool to boost Regional Trade and facilitate direct investment.