International Women’s Day

The United Nations recognizes 8 March as International Women's Day. This year’s International Women’s Day highlights the need for inclusive and transformative innovation and technology to bridge the gender gap.

    Overview

    ITC contributes to the International Women's Day celebrations by highlighting how women entrepreneurs from across the world overcome obstacles and participate successfully in international trade. It is a global day to celebrate women’s and girls’ achievements and to raise awareness of the efforts that still lie ahead to achieve gender equality.

    Strengthening women in business and trade in developing and least developed countries is one of the mainstays of the International Trade Centre’s work.

    The gender gap in global trade

    1 %
    of export financing goes to women-owned businesses
    5 %
    of the world's top exporters are owned by women

    Inequality takes on many forms – women’s participation in global trade, for example, is woefully low. According to the World Trade Organization, women make up just 35% of the world's workforce in the export sector. Our own research found that only one in five businesses in the developing world is owned by women

    In recent years, as the digital economy grows exponentially, women’s exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade—a loss that will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action, according to the UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022 report

    To bridge the gender gap in global trade, particularly in the digital economy, ITC integrates gender considerations throughout our work. 

     

    ITC interventions

    Globally, since 2020 our ecommerce programme through the ecomConnect platform has supported 3000 women from 160 countries to trade online.

    Getting women artisans onto online marketplaces such as eBay or Novica increases their income, and also makes preserving cultural traditions a bankable effort.

    Testimonials

    ITC developed the SheTrades platform to matches women entrepreneurs with potential buyers and investors. It also provides training and support to help women develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in international trade.

    As of 2021, we have connected three million women to the international market through the platform.

    On 9 March 2023, we will launch the SheTrades Hub in Mauritius, bringing the total count of Hubs to 12 worldwide. Each takes a country-specific approach to support women-owned businesses to benefit from opportunities to expand their business and jointly advance women economic empowerment.

    The Netherlands Trust Fund V at ITC runs two tracks of support. One track supports tech businesses to better trade and grow. The second develops innovative ways for agribusinesses to digitize. Since the programme began 1.5 years ago, 324 women-led businesses have made international deals, and 474 women have learned to use technology improve their businesses. 

    If I hadn't had my website all that time [the COVID-19 lockdown], it would have been lost because people couldn't access my product. It was amazing how quickly the website started having visitors and that made everyone speed up the work for the online store.
    Picture of Carmen de Rengifo facing camera in a verdant setting
    If I hadn't had my website all that time [the COVID-19 lockdown], it would have been lost because people couldn't access my product. It was amazing how quickly the website started having visitors and that made everyone speed up the work for the online store.
    Carmen de Rengifo
    Rengifo
    Maker of Salvadoran handicrafts
    Maker of Salvadoran handicrafts
    We've already started some collaborations. One partnership is an AI company doing machine learning. We’re working with them on how to build intuitive elements for when we’re ready to create a bigger platform.
    We've already started some collaborations. One partnership is an AI company doing machine learning. We’re working with them on how to build intuitive elements for when we’re ready to create a bigger platform.
    Pinaman Owusu
    ADJOAA, adjoaa.com
    Online marketplace for African fashion designers, which attended London Tech Week and Tech in Ghana in London in June 2022, with NTF V support.
    Online marketplace for African fashion designers, which attended London Tech Week and Tech in Ghana in London in June 2022, with NTF V support.
    I was pleasantly delighted when one of Dubai's well-known chefs endorsed our products. The manufacturer and supplier of chocolates for the United Arab Emirates was equally delighted with the quality of our chocolates, and we exchanged recipe tips. We're now creating a healthy chocolate spread recipe, under the NTF V project.
    Monica Nana Ama Senanu holds box of Chocolub chocolates
    I was pleasantly delighted when one of Dubai's well-known chefs endorsed our products. The manufacturer and supplier of chocolates for the United Arab Emirates was equally delighted with the quality of our chocolates, and we exchanged recipe tips. We're now creating a healthy chocolate spread recipe, under the NTF V project.
    Monica Nana Ama Senanu
    Chocoluv
    Ghanaian chocolate company, which went to the Speciality Food Festival in Dubai and Salon du Chocolat in Paris, with support from ITC-Alliances for Action under NTFV Ghana.
    Ghanaian chocolate company, which went to the Speciality Food Festival in Dubai and Salon du Chocolat in Paris, with support from ITC-Alliances for Action under NTFV Ghana.

    Videos

    Previous years

    Our 10-day social media campaign centred on Gender Equality for Sustainable Trade.

    Supporting women in sustainable trade helps mitigate climate change by making them - the underrepresented - more active in the global value chains. We celebrated women entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of bringing sustainable solutions to trade, and to our daily lives.

    Two of those women created video messages highlighting their work: Louise Mabulo, founder of the Cacao Project, and Zhipara Raimkulova, who leads a handicraft association in Kyrgyzstan.

     

    2022 International Women's Day message
    "Any obstacle to gender equality is a threat to global recovery. The voice of every woman everywhere must count towards economic empowerment, climate action and the future rebuilding of an inclusive world."

    From Tajikistan to Nicaragua, from tourism to textiles, businesses and government leaders around the world took to social media to share their tips on how small businesses can survive the pandemic, focusing on women.

    International Women's day logo 2021
    Women lead: small business recovery

    Images of inspirational women entrepreneurs featurd on buses and trams in Geneva, Switzerland, to promote gender equality in business.