In a bid to drive inclusive economic growth, Canada has committed CA$20 million to empower women traders across Ghana and five other West African nations. The five-year initiative, Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa, is set to transform the business landscape for 80,000 traders, 70% of whom are women, by enhancing market access, financial inclusion, and trade efficiency.
Implemented in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, the initiative is a collaborative effort between Global Affairs Canada, the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI), and TradeMark Africa.
Women traders in West Africa face entrenched challenges, from limited access to capital and markets to harassment at border crossings. A World Bank study underscores these obstacles, revealing that women make up between 30% and 61% of traders along key corridors such as Tema-Ouagadougou and Abidjan-Lagos. These hurdles have long restricted their economic potential.
The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Myriam Montrat, highlighted the initiative’s alignment with Canada’s feminist foreign policy.
“This is about ensuring women traders can prosper. When women thrive, communities, economies, and entire societies thrive,” she emphasized.
The Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa project is structured around key interventions:
Capacity Building – Women traders will receive training in financial literacy, business management, and market access strategies.
Digital Transformation – Introducing digital trade tools to improve efficiency and transparency in cross-border commerce.
Gender-Responsive Policies – Advocating for policies that promote fair trade conditions and protect women from harassment at border points.
Sustainable Trade Practices – Encouraging a 50% increase in the use of eco-friendly business models and boosting women’s income levels by 40%.
Advocacy & Networks – Strengthening women’s trade associations to amplify their voices in policymaking and regional economic frameworks.
By fostering a more inclusive and sustainable trade ecosystem, Canada’s investment signals a broader commitment to gender equality and economic transformation in Africa. The initiative is more than just a trade project, it’s a game changer for regional commerce, positioning women as key drivers of economic progress.
As the initiative rolls out, its success will hinge on collaboration among governments, civil society organizations, and regional bodies, ensuring a fair and supportive business environment for women entrepreneurs.
With this investment, Canada reaffirms its role as a global champion of women’s economic empowerment, setting a precedent for how trade policies can fuel both business growth and social impact
