C1WT Launches Global Trade for One Million Women Entrepreneurs

• C1WT has unveiled its first digital 8-Pillar Global Trade Accelerator for women-led businesses
• The platform seeks to link one million women entrepreneurs with markets in 102 countries
• The initiative was first announced at the GUBA Trade & Investment Conference in Barbados

Connecting One Million Women to Trade (C1WT) Private-sector coalition, has introduced a digital 8-Pillar Global Trade Accelerator, touted as the world's first. This platform is meant to connect one million women-led businesses with international markets across 102 countries.

It was initially launched at the GUBA Trade & Investment Conference in Barbados and expanded further during a regional session held on 21 November in Accra, Ghana.

In a statement made available to The PUNCH, the accelerator was a step-by-step digital ecosystem that will support more than 10,000 associations of women-led enterprises and women entrepreneurs on their journey to become export-ready. This was referred to as a neutral digital space for institutions to share solutions, capabilities and scale their involvement.

During the Barbados launch, which was attended by government representatives, chambers of commerce, and development partners, the platform was showcased as an example to digitize onboarding for women-owned businesses, enhance access to exports, align supportive policies, and broaden women-led B2B trade opportunities.

Former Costa Rican Vice-President Epsy Barr endorsed the initiative as a collaborative framework to boost women-led trade across the Atlantic regions. The Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry noted that the initiative is in line with its emerging partnership with C1WT.

In the Accra forum hosted by the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry, stakeholders from Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and the global diaspora discussed plans for the rollout.

GNCCI President Stéphane Abass Miezan said that the initiative offers added strength to Ghana’s role in global commerce, while supporting women’s participation in international markets.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce recently announced the addition of new tools that will enhance capital access to entrepreneurs using the platform. Its president, Charles DeBow, said this new collaboration will expand financial opportunities for African and diaspora women business owners.

The founder of C1WT, Dr. Ky Dele, explained that this initiative looks to move “from symbolism to structure” in an effort to underline a system connecting grassroots participants to global networks.

There was also a live multilingual onboarding, digital KYC, dashboards, global marketplace and training modules demonstration for women in trade. This platform brings together institutions from around the world into one trusted digital ecosystem to drive down fragmentation.

It thus aspires to onboard approximately 10,000 women-led businesses per country through its association-based model.