Hillary Clinton recognizes ITC’s work with women entrepreneurs

In a speech at the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Women and the Economy Forum in St Petersburg, Russia, on 29 June, the US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said: ‘Today I am announcing two new APEC initiatives to expand women’s access to capital and markets. First, we want to help governments use their purchasing power to support women entrepreneurs and grow their economies. So we are working with the United Nations’ International Trade Centre to improve the ability of APEC governments to source from women-owned businesses.’

Ms Clinton was referring to ITC’s Women and Trade programme, which works with governments, the private sector and trade-support institutions to bring greater economic benefit to women through increased participation in export trade. Through this programme, ITC will host the second annual Women Vendors Exhibition and Forum, wihch will be held in Mexico City on 6-7 November. Corporate executives, government representatives, women business owners and trade-support institutions will meet for business development opportunities, networking and skill-building.

Sectors to be highlighted include coffee, textiles and silver jewellery, clean technology, construction and mining, information technology, telecommunications and business-process outsourcing, and agro-business.

Learn more about ITC's Women and Trade programme.

Read the full speech by Ms Clinton at the Women and the Economy Forum.

Watch Ms Clinton's speech below.