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Project profile — Making Trade Work for Women in Eastern Africa



Overview 

CA-3-P005606001
$15,000,000
TradeMark East Africa
2018-03-29 - 2024-12-31
Operational
Global Affairs Canada
WGM Africa

Country / region 

• South of Sahara, regional (100.00%)

Sector 

• Government And Civil Society, General: Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (45.00%)
• Trade Policy And Regulations And Trade-Related Adjustment: Trade facilitation (33120) (55.00%)

Policy marker 

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (principal objective)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

Description 

This project aims to promote the economic empowerment of women traders in Eastern Africa, and works to reduce sexual and gender-based violence towards them. The project is focused on addressing the constraints which limit the participation of East African women traders in economic activities and cross-border trade. Project activities include: (1) establishment of cooperatives and market access platforms for women traders; (2) simplifying, translating and disseminating documentation on trading requirements for small scale traders (most of whom are women); (3) sensitizing border officials on gender; (4) adopting gender-sensitive cross border trade charters; (5) establishing safe working spaces for women; (6) developing and operationalizing a reporting mechanism on violence against women; (7) providing technical support to women traders in the areas of advocacy, dialogue and strengthening membership services; (8) collecting sex-disaggregated data and conducting evidence-based research on issues affecting women traders; and (9) lobbying with public agencies.

Expected results 

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) 30% reduction in incidences of violence against women traders at select border posts in Eastern Africa; (2) 15% increase in trade values for women-traded goods and increased access to markets and trade-related services for at least 150,000 women traders; and (3) improved policy, regulatory and institutional environments to support women in trade.

Results achieved 

Results achieved as of March 2023 include: (1) developed women in trade empowerment index to help assess progress on the project’s ultimate outcome; (2) established 15 out of 15 targeted resource centers that are key points for accessing trade information and reporting gender-based violence cases; (3) facilitated trading of 10,880 metric tonnes of grain, valued at US$4,196,528 (target 5,000 metric tonnes); (4) facilitated the the adoption of seven new regulations supporting women in trade (target six regulations); (5) linked 177,702 traders to new markets and trading opportunities (target 150,000 traders); (6) supported 22,766 women cross-border traders from associations, clusters, or cooperatives to transition to formal trade (target 20,000 traders); (7) supported women traders associations’ adoption of nine new recommendations and proposals (target 10 recommendations); (8) supported the implementation of 15 gender-responsive reforms (target of 10); (9) facilitated 25,070 traders to access information through the resource centers and the iSOKO digital platform established in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda (target 15,000 traders); and (10) contributed to the reducing incidences of violence and harassment against targeted women traders by 34% (target 30% reduction).

Budget and spending 


Original budget $0
Planned disbursement $1,104,239
Transactions
Transaction Date Type Value
22-05-2024 Disbursement $306,983
08-01-2025 Disbursement $136,495
08-01-2025 Disbursement $610,761
Country percentages by sector
Type of finance Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Collaboration type Bilateral
Type of aid Project-type interventions