ZCZC
BSS-43
ITC-BANGLADESH
ITC opens Bangladesh chapter of SheTrades in Commonwealth
DHAKA, July 18, 2018 (BSS) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) today
launched the Bangladesh chapter of SheTrades in the Commonwealth to deliver
greater economic returns for women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.
A dedicated project of ITC’s global SheTrades initiative, the SheTrades in
the Commonwealth Bangladesh project, aims to drive increased trade,
productivity and competitiveness for women entrepreneurs and women-owned
companies to ensure that they play an active role in international trade, a
press release said.
The goal of the initiative is to strengthen the capacities of 3,000
women-owned businesses with a view to generating sales worth œ28 million (US$
38m) by 2020.
Officially launched in April and funded by United Kingdom’s Department for
International Development (DFID), SheTrades in the Commonwealth was endorsed
by UK Prime Minister Theresa May during the opening of the Commonwealth
Business Forum (CBF) in London.
SheTrades in the Commonwealth – Bangladesh will address the challenges,
including access to and control over land, faced by women entrepreneurs.
“Women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh will receive tailored support through
SheTrades in the Commonwealth enabling them to propel their existing market
representation and secure greater access to global trade,” said Nicholas
Schlaepfer, Senior Programme Officer at ITC’s Women and Trade Programme.
The SheTrades in the Commonwealth project will provide governments with
better tools and information to implement gender-responsive policies and
share best practices.
Over a two-year period, ITC will initially work to increase the
competitiveness of women entrepreneurs in the agriculture, apparel and
services sectors in four Commonwealth focus countries – Bangladesh, Ghana,
Kenya and Nigeria.
BSS/PR/GM/MRI/1940 hrs