Women at the Centre of Trade: ICOYACA at the WTO-ITC High Level Event on Women and Trade

Women at the Centre of Trade: ICOYACA at the WTO-ITC High Level Event on Women and Trade

• Blog
• March 26, 2026

On 25 March 2026, ICOYACA attended the WTO-ITC High Level Event on Women and Trade at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on the margins of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference. The event was co-hosted by the World Trade Organization and the International Trade Centre (ITC) and brought together government representatives, trade officials, civil society, women entrepreneurs and global partners for a high-energy programme focused on what it will take to anchor gender equality in the future of the multilateral trading system.

What is the WEIDE Fund and why does it matter?

Central to the event was the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, a US$50 million initiative launched in 2024 by the WTO Secretariat and the ITC. The WEIDE Fund supports women entrepreneurs to grow through international trade and digitalisation. It is funded by the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Legacy Fund and the Government of Bahrain, and operates through country-level partnerships that connect women-led businesses with training, market access, finance and business support organisations.

The fund currently works across multiple regions including Africa, Asia and Latin America, channelling support through Business Support Organisations that are embedded in their local contexts. Its goal is not only to fund individual businesses but to shift the systemic conditions that limit women's participation in digital trade.

What the data from women entrepreneurs showed

One of the most compelling moments of the event was the "100 WEIDE Women Said" interactive session, which brought live survey data from women entrepreneurs to the stage. The results were direct and informative.

When asked what the biggest obstacle they face when trying to sell online was, the most popular answer among women entrepreneurs was high shipping and logistics costs. This reflects a persistent structural barrier that disproportionately affects small and micro businesses led by women, particularly in regions where last-mile delivery infrastructure is underdeveloped and cross-border shipping remains expensive and unpredictable.

When asked what has been the most valuable benefit of being a WEIDE Fund beneficiary, 42 respondents chose access to funding and grants, compared to 27 who valued training and capacity building, 9 who named access to new markets and buyers and 9 who named mentorship and coaching. The result confirms that while training is valued, what women entrepreneurs need most urgently is capital.

When asked what would help their business grow faster in digital trade, access to international platforms and marketplaces was the top response with 40 votes, followed by more training in digital skills and e-commerce with 19 and easier access to finance with 18. Lower shipping and logistics costs received 11 votes. The pattern across all three questions is consistent: women entrepreneurs are not asking for more preparation. They are asking to be let into the markets.

SheTrades Innovation Festival: Made by African Women, Ready for the World

The event also featured the second edition of the ITC SheTrades Innovation Festival, a pitch contest showcasing African women innovators whose solutions address real challenges in food systems, health, sustainability and the digital economy.

Four innovators competed: Nkenen Brendaline Shieke of Agripath Solutions Ltd from Cameroon, Mary Asanga of HerGynae from Nigeria, Buyiswa Twala of Agrigreat Soiltech and Envirocare from South Africa and Phebe Ilesanmi of Trashcoin from Nigeria.

The $5,000 grant was awarded to Phebe Ilesanmi of Trashcoin, whose blockchain-linked waste collection and recycling model creates economic incentives around environmental action and stands out for its scalability and its intersection of climate resilience and financial inclusion.

The institutional picture

The event also marked the launch of the IWG Co-Chairs' joint statement, a compendium of the WTO Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender's work since 2020 and a new joint policy mapping initiative on women and digitalisation produced jointly with the MSME Group.

Opening remarks were delivered by WTO Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, ITC Executive Director Ms Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Cameroon's Minister of Trade Hon Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana and H.E. Mr James Baxter, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the WTO.

Why ICOYACA was there

ICOYACA's participation in this event reflects our broader mandate to ensure that young African women are present and counted in the spaces where trade policy is made. The intersection of gender, digital trade and SME access is not a niche concern. It is central to whether AfCFTA and WTO reform deliver for the people they are meant to serve.

Looking ahead

ICOYACA calls on WTO members, the AfCFTA Secretariat and African governments to treat the findings from this event as an action agenda. The WEIDE Fund is a meaningful start. It needs to be expanded, replicated and domesticated into national and continental trade support frameworks. Young women entrepreneurs across Africa deserve to see themselves in the outcomes of MC14.