Improve gender diversity when trading with the UK
The UK government offers specific support to help women traders overcome obstacles and promote wider economic inclusion.
The UK government works with other governments and numerous agencies to reverse economic discrimination against women across the world. The programmes we participate in go beyond encouraging women in business to enabling dignified, equal, and economically empowering work for women.
Read about the benefits of economically empowering women in the UN’s Facts and Figures: Economic Empowerment. Improving work and working conditions for women is an economic opportunity for everyone, not just women, as shown in the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship.
UK government support
The UK government provides support for African businesses that want to export to the UK, especially businesses which commit to women’s economic empowerment.
The UK government offers education, events and expertise, as well as funding through these programmes:
- Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW): WOW aims to support women’s access to improved economic opportunities through business interventions in supply chains and economic development programmes
- SheTrades: builds the competitiveness of women-owned businesses, cooperatives and associations through training, coaching, and mentoring and by assisting in helping connecting them to markets
- Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT): hosts programmes and events enabling members to learn, network and forge professional relationships in their business communities
- Future Females Business School: courses include modules on aspects of trade for every business, whatever the gender of the owner. But they also include women-specific seminars, such as avoiding sexual exploitation and trading safely online
COVID-19 impact on women in trade
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on small and medium-sized businesses, especially in developing countries. The pandemic has disrupted their supply chains, production networks, services and trade. Such businesses are often owned by women.
The World Economic Forum predicts that closing the gender gap for women in business has been set back by a generation by COVID-19.
This guidance is provided as part of the UK government’s Growth Gateway service.