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.
