Trinidad and Tobago has preceded the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in officially launching SheTrades, an initiative inaugurated by the International Trade Centre (ITC) that seeks to provide women entrepreneurs and women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with opportunities to become affiliated to a network and platform that connects them to markets globally. One of the immediate objectives of the ITC SheTrades is to connect three million women entrepreneurs to markets by next year.
Membership of the ITC SheTrades will enable women-owned businesses in the CARICOM member country to collaborate with partners equipped to provide expertise that help new members to achieve greater impact and scalability on account of the footprint that they have already left in the international business arena. Some of the core ITC SheTrades partners include such high profile international business houses as eBay, Maersk, UPS, and Barclays Bank. Part of the focus of ITC SheTrades is on building the capacity of local institutions, including Business Support Organizations (BSOs) and incorporating government priorities to ensure the long-term sustainability of ITC’s support. Membership of the organization opens a critical opportunity for women-led businesses in Trinidad and Tobago to accelerate the pace of their growth and development. Membership of ITC SheTrades also facilitates online training and mentorship for women entrepreneurs and provides them with a platform that affords them the opportunity to share, learn and do business on a global scale.
SheTrades has already established its presence in twenty-five countries in Africa and elsewhere where women-led businesses have been keen to benefit from the opportunities that affiliation offers. In-country interventions in several Commonwealth countries, notably in Africa, have afforded women-owned businesses with opportunities to secure access to markets and financial services. Some countries have adapted SheTrades to their local situation through the creation of national chapters.
Country affiliation can enable women-led business enterprises to benefit from several business-enhancing facilities, including the opportunity to access its platform to showcase their businesses internationally, build strong global networks, enable valuable business contacts and the striking of lucrative business deals and enhance their credibility. Further benefits can accrue from companies and individual buyers utilizing shetrades.com supply chains by sourcing specific products and services from women-owned businesses.
Registered users are also afforded free access to SheTrades’ Virtual Learning, the core training hub for the SheTrades initiative, where they can participate in group activities and live webinars, and take courses developed by experts. Membership also allows for application for workshops, trade fairs and other business events.
Interested women-led businesses in Guyana can Register on the SheTrades
website:,(shetrades.com) and download the mobile app on Android and IOS.
