To make e-commerce a greater driver of shared prosperity, the world must urgently tackle the challenges facing women small business owners in developing countries. That was the message from experts at a meeting held during the UN Trade Forum 2023 on 9 May, where UNCTAD launched a new policy review of e-commerce through a gender lens.
Women drive trade in least developed countries (LDCs), with many running small businesses across borders. But they face security risks and significant constraints in accessing productive and financial resources. To help more women in these countries benefit from trade, UNCTAD trains policymakers on how to design and implement policies that tackle gender inequalities. It also trains academicians and representatives of civil society and the private sector so they can better contribute to this cause.
Pauline Satau, a small business owner from Kazungula village in northeastern Botswana, didn’t set out to be an informal cross-border trader. Like approximately 70% of informal cross-border traders in the Southern African region, she ventured into business out of necessity and a desire to feed her family. And for many years she did just that, growing her business from selling corn on the cobb to poultry farming.
Pauline Satau, a small business owner from Kazungula village in northeastern Botswana, didn’t set out to be an informal cross-border trader. Like approximately 70% of informal cross-border traders in the Southern African region, she ventured into business out of necessity and a desire to feed her family. And for many years she did just that, growing her business from selling corn on the cobb to poultry farming.