The Informal Working Group (IWG) on Trade and Gender, co-chaired by Cabo Verde, El Salvador, and the United Kingdom, has put forward several proposals to advance gender-responsive trade policies. These initiatives align with the MC13 Ministerial Declaration (WT/MIN(24)/W/12/Rev.1) and aim to enhance financial inclusion for female entrepreneurs.
Among the key proposals is the Compendium of Financial Inclusion Initiatives for Female Entrepreneurs, launched at MC13. This compendium is designed to assist policymakers in creating trade policies that support women entrepreneurs' access to financial resources. Additional proposals were developed in collaboration with the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Group and the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD). These efforts focus on building women's trading capacities and enhancing their skills for participation in export trade.
The IWG Co-Chairs also encouraged members to share ideas on developing gender-disaggregated data and statistics, a topic discussed during the last meeting on March 6, 2024. Various members provided updates on their respective trade and gender initiatives.
Spain introduced its initiative titled “Working Group on Women and Internationalisation of the Spanish Economy,” part of Spain's Strategy for the Internationalisation of the Economy 2017-2027. The initiative aims to improve statistical analyses, access to financing, training in internationalization, and compliance with Spanish Equality Law. Spain highlighted that this effort seeks to understand factors influencing female entrepreneurship better and promote women's roles in internationalizing Spain's economy.
The Gambia presented several initiatives under its National Development Plan (2023–2027), including the SheTrades programme and Jokallenteh Market platform. These programmes aim to economically empower women through training, market linkages, and public procurement opportunities. Notable achievements include supporting over 130 women-owned businesses in food safety and quality standards and securing USD 3 million in public tenders specifically for women bidders involved in food aid supply.
In addition to member presentations, the WTO Secretariat updated attendees on its ongoing work. It announced that the second edition of the World Trade Congress on Gender would take place from June 24-27, 2025, under the theme “Gender Equality and Innovation: The Keys to Sustainable Trade.” Furthermore, plans were revealed for another training course on trade and gender for Geneva-based delegates in October 2024 following positive feedback from a pilot course held in 2023.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from all participants to continue advancing gender-responsive trade policies and fostering greater participation of women in international trade.
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