Making Trade a Driver of Women's Economic Empowerment: Official Launch of the MTWW Project National Selection Committee in Côte d’Ivoire

Implemented by the CECI–TradeMark Africa Consortium and funded by Global Affairs Canada, the MTWW project aims to transform cross-border trade by making it safer, more inclusive, and more profitable for women. The establishment of this National Committee, chaired by the Directorate General for Foreign Trade (DGCE), demonstrates the strong ownership of the project by Ivorian institutions.

The meeting brought together a diverse range of institutional and private-sector stakeholders, highlighting the importance of a collaborative approach. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Women, Family and Children, the National Export Council (CNE), Côte d’Ivoire Export, as well as leading private-sector organizations such as the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI), the Ivorian Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (FIPME), and the Côte d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-CI). The diversity of institutions and organizations represented is a significant asset for fostering dialogue, pooling expertise, and identifying solutions tailored to the challenges at hand.

Beyond its ceremonial dimension, this first meeting had a strong operational and organizational focus. Its objective was clear: to lay the foundations for a transparent, fair, and rigorous selection process.

Committee members worked to:

• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder to ensure smooth and effective governance.
• Review and adopt the harmonized evaluation framework designed to identify not only the economic viability of projects but also their tangible impact on employment opportunities for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
• Validate the timeline and practical arrangements for the next phases, including field visits and due diligence assessments of applicant businesses.

This initiative aligns closely with the vision of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the National Development Plan 2026-2030, and the momentum created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Through this process, the MTWW project aims to identify and support women-led businesses with export and import ambitions in regional markets. Support will go far beyond financial assistance and will include business coaching, compliance and standards support, access to digital finance, and facilitation of integration into multi-country business networks.

^{Next Step: Evaluation of Applications}

Building on this foundational meeting, the National Selection Committee will begin reviewing applications submitted through the Expression of Interest process launched in early 2026.

At the end of this process, approximately ten women-led Ivorian businesses will be supported in expanding into regional markets, contributing to the MTWW project's overall objective of directly impacting 80,000 people across West Africa, including at least 70% women engaged in trade.

About the MTWW Project: Implemented from October 2024 to March 2030 across six countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo), the MTWW (Making Trade Work for Women in West Africa) project is funded by Global Affairs Canada. It seeks to address the systemic barriers faced by women in cross-border trade by combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and facilitating access to regional markets.