Stories

Women breaking export barriers

8 March 2018
ITC News
ITC and Maersk team up to press for progress on International Women’s Day

Women overcoming barriers to exports was at the heart of an event organized by the International Trace Centre (ITC) and Maersk on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The event premiered the film 'SheTrades', commissioned by Maersk to support ITC’s SheTrades Initiative’s advocacy efforts.

The story shared the parallel experiences of two women – one in Alaska, the other in Ghana – living their dreams and ambitions to export. The film shows how these women are fulfilling a role in development, moving from local business to global trade in salmon and tropical flowers.

During the panel, Vanessa Erogbogbo, Head of ITC’s Woman and Trade programme, took Facebook live questions addressed to her speakers.

Opening the event, Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, said: 'You don’t have to look too far to see that there still remains a profound (gender parity) gap between aspiration and reality.'

'Showcasing the success of women entrepreneurs, that is another reason why the SheTrades Initiative is so powerful, beyond the tangible benefit of connecting one million women to market by 2020.'

Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said: 'I am deeply convinced that women are and can be important players in international trade at the service of development.'

ITC Executive Director Arancha González, Executive Director said: 'We want SheTrades to be a movement that takes us boldly to where no man or woman has taken us before.'

Launched in 2016, ITC’s SheTrades initiative aims to connect 1 million women to market by 2020. 

Click here to see the photos.