In working toward their shared goal of connecting women-owned SMEs to international markets, ITC SheTrades and Twill by Maersk today launched a new coaching programme for women-owned SMEs in Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico and India.
Over 95% of companies are SMEs – but only one-in-five exporting businesses are owned by women and they are more likely to face obstacles to trade, highlighting the need for real change. Kick starting the push for better representation and empowerment, the programme involves women entrepreneurs receiving one-on-one coaching from Twill employees. This as part of Maersk’s journey to help connect 100,000 SMEs, including women-operated business, to international trade by 2025.
During the four-week pilot phase in April 2020, four Twill employees based in the Netherlands were paired with four SheTrades women-owned businesses from Nigeria and Kenya. Together, they explored various areas of support, while discovering new ones along the way. Here is what they experienced:
The offering is now officially open to women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Kenya, Mexico and India. Women can apply to participate in the programme and if successful, they will be matched with a Twill Coach to work on an eight-week project to improve an area of their business.
If you’re a female entrepreneur in one of these countries, looking to enter international trade or get support to upscale your current export/import capacity, CLICK HERE TO APPLY
Application deadline: 21 August 2020
For any questions, please email womenandtrade@intracen.org