Trinidad and Tobago

Inclusive trade: SheTrades initiative
Contact
First name
Amy
Last name
Fallon
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Context

What is the SheTrades Initiative? 

Our SheTrades Initiative has changed the economic lives of three million women in 30 countries by connecting them to markets. We have opened 12 regional hubs across Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and Europe, and we continue to grow. 

The Initiative centres on empowering women engaging in international trade and creating a women-inclusive fairer business ecosystem. We help them overcome barriers and, with them, identify areas that urgently need to be addressed. 

Consultations with global thought leaders reveal persisting barriers between key actors and the building blocks of women’s enterprise development: gender-disaggregated research, inclusive policy, skills development, access to markets and finance.  

SheTrades works across countries, regions and stakeholders to champion quality data on women’s participation in trade. We work with policymakers to level the playing field for women, leverage partnerships with the public and private sectors, and connect women to markets and learning opportunities through our one-stop online platform, SheTrades.com.  

The Initiative is a proud contributor to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

 

ITC SheTrades beneficiary works with over 50,000 smallholder farmers to turn avocado rejects into high-quality oil that is exported to Europe, US, and Asia.

Video

6 July 2022
Faces of SheTrades

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Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p><strong>ITC FOR EVERY WOMAN, EVERYWHERE.&nbsp;</strong></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">ITC recognizes that Gender Equality is a right in and of itself and a requisite for sustainable development. All women everywhere have the right to a decent income, employment, working conditions and a choice and voice in shaping their economic context. Over the next four years, ITC will support a broad universe of women (entrepreneurs, producers, workers, young women, small-scale cross border traders), by leveraging trade and public procurement, mobilising SheTrades Hubs and high-level champions, and tapping into partnerships. The implementation strategy will be scaled up, inclusive, results-oriented and future-focused.<br></span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">ITC&rsquo;s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan identifies gender as one of the five impact areas to deliver an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span><span lang="EN-GB">Our Vision by 2025 is as follows:</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>1.<span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">ITC is recognised as an <strong>agenda-setter</strong> on empowering women to trade, through the SheTrades Initiative&nbsp;</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>2.<span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Through ITC support, <strong>BSOs, market partners and financial institutions</strong> develop world-class women in trade programmes&nbsp;</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>3.<span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Women <strong>trade more</strong> and on <strong>better terms</strong>, hold more <strong>decent jobs</strong>, and a stronger <strong>voice</strong> in trade&nbsp;</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>4.<span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">ITC is a <strong>trusted and effective partner</strong> to deliver on the A4T/gender agenda&nbsp;</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>5.<span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">ITC has an <strong>effective coordinated response</strong> to addressing the trade and gender challenge</span></p>

Type
Programme
Projects
SheTrades Latin America: Supporting women businesses‘ transition towards the post COVID digital age
SheTrades Hub Gambia
Egypt: SheTrades (AfTIAS)
AfCFTA: Empowering women in the AfCFTA - Phase 2 (SheTrades)
SheTrades Morocco
SheTrades West Africa
SheTrades Zambia
SheTrades and UPS partnership
SheTrades and UPS
Global: SheTrades Connect
SheTrades and Mary Kay
SheTrades Zambia: Increasing the participation of women in trade
SheTrades: Trade Impact Group - WTO
SheTrades: using data to address constraints to extra-EU trade
SheTrades: Empowering African women through e-commerce
SheTrades: Empowering women and boosting livelihoods through agricultural trade: Leveraging the AfCFTA
SheTrades: Accelerator Programme for women entrepreneurs in the Apparel, Accessories and Home Décor sector
Asia Pacific: Facilitating women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurial skills development (SheTrades)
Gulf region: Harnessing the economic potential of women entrepreneurs in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (SheTrades)
Date
-
External ID
C131
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On
Trade Intelligence: UK Trade Partnerships Programme
Contact
First name
Mathieu
Last name
Loridan

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p><span data-contrast="none">ITC&rsquo;s trade and market intelligence interventions in the 24 UK Trade Partnerships Programme countries will consist of several interrelated components</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none">to foster transparency and &nbsp;enhanced access</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;to information on trade opportunities and market access requirements <span data-contrast="none">for small and medium</span><span data-contrast="none">-</span><span data-contrast="none">sized e</span><span data-contrast="none">nterprises</span></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">. This will be done</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;through</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;data</span><span data-contrast="none"> sharing, capacity building, and</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;the</span><span data-contrast="none"> setting up of&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">trade&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none">obstacle alert mechanisms.</span></p>

Type
Programme
Date
-
External ID
B906
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GreenToCompete Hubs
Contact
First name
Simon
Last name
Balfe

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The ITC T4SD Hubs act as a <strong>one-stop shop offering integrated sustainability solutions supporting SMEs to transition to a green economy</strong>. The T4SD Hubs are a 5 year project implemented in 7 countries/regions: the Caribbean, Ghana, Kenya, Laos, Nepal, Peru and Viet Nam.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The offering of the T4SD Hubs is structured around 5 thematic areas under which awareness raising workshops, e-learnings and customized coaching programmes are offered to <strong>build the business case for implementing sustainable business practices:&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">These thematic areas include:</span></p><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Compliance with Voluntary Sustainability Standards&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Resource efficiency and circular production&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Climate resilience&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Positioning sustainable products in the international market&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Access to green finance&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Besides the piloting of the service offering to built the necessary technical capacity, the T4SD Hub team supports the T4SD Hub hosts in building the needed management capacity and structures to roll out the service offering.</span></p>

Type
Project
Date
-
External ID
B694
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Caribbean: Development of value added products and intra-regional trade to enhance livelihoods from coconuts II
Contact
First name
William
Last name
Castro Rodriguez
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Context

Boosting the Caribbean’s coconut sector from farm to fork 

 

ITC’s Alliances for Action, together with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and partners, has been working since 2015 to mobilize investment, revive the food growing industry, boost the incomes of small-scale farmers and processors in the region.  

We began with the coconut sector, bringing in needed investment, ramping up the farmers’ productive and commercial capacities, and increasing small firms’ competitiveness. Farmers have learned new crops and are now intercropping with other foods, such as bananas. 

Coconut farmers, small firms and the region at large have also become economically stronger by tapping into local, regional and international markets. This has boosted their resilience to climate change, diversified their income and will help them survive the economic shock if a single product collapses. 

Our current project phase replicates this model across the Caribbean where we will continue to emphasize public and private partnerships from ‘farm to fork’: from growing to processing, to marketing and market access. 

Reviving the coconut industry will increase food availability and the incomes of small-scale farmers and processing firms.
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Learning a new crop is a challenge. I like the idea of being part of a community – where we can get the information we need and help each other be better at what we do.
Learning a new crop is a challenge. I like the idea of being part of a community – where we can get the information we need and help each other be better at what we do.
Jenny Banelino
A Dominican family farming organization that produces bananas and intercrops with coconuts and other commodities for crop and income resilience.
A Dominican family farming organization that produces bananas and intercrops with coconuts and other commodities for crop and income resilience.
Post-COVID, the government is encouraging people to buy from local farmers, to both avoid waste and stop the local economy from collapsing. People are also realizing that what we need to do for resilience is to make our country food secure and see how farmers can get the most out of their acreage with crop diversity.
Post-COVID, the government is encouraging people to buy from local farmers, to both avoid waste and stop the local economy from collapsing. People are also realizing that what we need to do for resilience is to make our country food secure and see how farmers can get the most out of their acreage with crop diversity.
Dr. Wayne Myrie
Coconut Industry Board
The Coconut Industry Board in Jamaica is responsible for monitoring and informing the Government of Jamaica of the state of the coconut industry,advising growers of agronomic best practices and providing quality planting materials.
The Coconut Industry Board in Jamaica is responsible for monitoring and informing the Government of Jamaica of the state of the coconut industry,advising growers of agronomic best practices and providing quality planting materials.

Videos

Resources

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p>The overall objective of the Action (Alliances for Coconut Industry Development for the Caribbean Phase II) is to enhance competitiveness of small-scale farmers in coconut value chains through more sustainable production and commercialization performance and better local, regional, and global markets integration. This involves the implementation of an integrated and coordinated approach that results in enhanced competitiveness and resilience for the farmers, MSMEs and VC operators involved in coconut and associated crops value chains.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" dir="LTR">The proposal takes into consideration the outcomes, lessons learned and experiences gained during the implementation of phase I and aims to consolidate and increase its impact, scale, scope and sustainability. Following ITC&rsquo;s participatory process, phase II project proposal was officially endorsed by the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and by the CARIFORUM Directorate.</p>

Type
Project
Projects
Ghana: Developing cocoa and associated crops through the Sankofa Project empowered by Alliances for Action
Eswatini: Promoting growth through competitive alliances II
ACP Business-friendly: Supporting value chains through inclusive policies, investment promotion and alliances
Date
-
External ID
B407
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Small island developing states
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ITC recognizes that small island developing states (SIDS) face an unique set of challenges, particularly their vulnerability to external shocks. ITC works with SIDS to improve their export performance through regional collaboration, focused sectoral programmes, institutional support and strengthening the private sector. We also assist these states to trade mainly agricultural products that are attractive to niche markets that demand products proven to be sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.

Geographic priority (for relations)
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Cyan
External ID
G58
Import hash
-1975028432
Latin America and The Caribbean
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ITC supports interregional trade in Latin American and Caribbean countries as the most conducive to productive and export diversification. Investment in trade facilitation, sustainable production and digitalisation of commerce will propel the region forward and contribute to gender equality. ITC’s programmes specifically  foster the creation of quality employment for women and female-led enterprise in international trade in the region.

Region (for relations)
Header color
Cyan
Import hash
777252964
External ID
RLA