Programme for building African Capacity for Trade

Regional trade for global gains

The “Programme for building African Capacity for Trade” (PACT II) is a trade-related technical assistance programme, executed by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

It aims at strengthening the support capacity of African regional and national institutions to enhance export competitiveness, market linkages and export revenues of African small and medium size enterprises with a special focus on women-owned enterprises through the ACCESS! for African Businesswomen in International Trade programme.

It is widely recognized that women entrepreneurs across Africa are generating employment and adding value to exports in innovative ways. Since 2007, the ACCESS! Export Training Programme of ITC has been dedicated to addressing these limitations by strengthening the competitiveness of more than 2’500 women exporters and building the capacity of Trade Support Institutions (TSI) such as Trade Ministries, Chambers of Commerce and Women’s Business Associations to support them.

By the numbers

20- African partner countries have benefited of the ACCESS! Programme implementation

50- Training of trainers’ workshops organized for qualifying new candidates to ACCESS! methodology in order to help other women realizing their economic potential and thereby contributing to poverty reduction and improved standards of living

2,600- Trained women enhanced their export competitiveness, found new business opportunities and partnerships

20- National trade African institutions are offering training, mentoring and counselling autonomously. Institutional ownership at the country level proved to be successful in encouraging institutions to advocate and find complementary sources of funding for replication.(ITC)