ISSUE 3-4/2008

In Tunisia, the ACCESS! Programme for African Businesswomen in International Trade is paving the way for women artisans to export their products.

The Arab International Women's Forum is enhancing the leadership capacity of Arab women by promoting their role in the economy and public life.

Global Summit of Women 14 -16 May, 2009, Santiago, Chile The 2009 Global Summit of Women focuses on the emergence of women as political and business leaders. Now in its 19th year, this summit brings together women government ministers, corporate leaders and professionals from non-profit organizations to accelerate women's economic progress worldwide. Organizations representing nearly 400 000 women on six continents will participate.

The World Bank Group will speed funds to the world's poorest countries to help them cope with falling revenues, investment and trade in the wake of the global financial crisis. An initial $2 billion will be available to the hardest-hit countries to finance expenditures needed to maintain economic stability and sustain growth, address volatility and protect the poor.

A partnership between ITC and an Indian bank has shown how lenders can safely use competency as collateral against small business loans.

In many nations, the fight against poverty is both an ethical issue and a security imperative. Women leaders are convening in Liberia to commit to action to empower women at all levels to become effective leaders as it contributes to peace and international security - the precondition for development and poverty reduction.

Bringing women together to share skills, contacts and positive attitudes could help us all to navigate through these uncertain economic times.

By involving women in national economic policy, Canada is forging a model for empowering women and building the strength of domestic and global marketplaces.Women are stepping forward as never before. They are becoming leaders, financial managers, business strategists, risk-takers and entrepreneurs.

Governments have committed to eradicating all forms of descrimination against women. Enlightened trade policies take the gender dimensioninto account.

When disaster strikes, it's usually up to women to rebuild the necessities of daily life. For many, setting up business in conflict zones is a trading reality. Women with international experience are reaching out with innovative business models to build new skills, seek new orders and create hope for women displaced by war.

The United Nations has a wide range of information resources related to women in the global economy.They look at women's business and trade issues on topics as diverse as labour rights, intellectual property, agriculture and more. Here is a sample of what is available.

From Canada to Cambodia and more, policy-makers in this online edition share inspiration to integrate women in pro-poor national development frameworks.Cambodians make a forceful case for coordination between ministries and responsible stakeholders. Canada's push for equality is backed by research showing that equal opportunity could bring the country $168 billion more in income, an extra 1.6 million jobs for women and a whopping 21% increase in its Gross Domestic Product. Similarly, Ugandans just revisited their National Export Strategy to leverage the power of women to generate wealth and fight poverty.Reducing poverty can only happen with sustainable revenue that comes from trade, not aid. A hidden key to success in least developed countries is to get the trade diagnostics right - and identify trade constraints specific to women. The Enhanced Integrated Framework offers a means of addressing such constraints, weaving solutions into national development plans.

Around the world, women play a major role in the production of coffee. A handful of international associations are working to ensure their access to equal ownership and employment conditions.