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ECOFEPA Held Masterclass on Advancing Female Trade

Women entrepreneurs are encouraged to leverage technology to overcome market barriers.

Updated on Sept. 26, 2026 in International Trade

Isometric editorial illustration featuring a cargo crane and shipping container, representing the logistics of international trade for small businesses.
The ECOFEPA masterclass provided strategies for women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and overcome regional barriers to global trade access. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Are local government policies doing enough to help women-owned businesses expand into larger markets?

The ECOFEPA held an executive masterclass focused on increasing women's participation in global trade and political readiness within the ECOWAS region. This initiative aims to address systemic barriers to international markets for women-owned businesses.

Why it matters

Women-owned firms often remain stalled in the informal economy due to persistent gaps in financing and market access. Addressing these obstacles through trade strategy and skill development is critical for scaling businesses in the regional economy.

Ghana has implemented a National Gender Policy spanning the 2025-2034 period to serve as a framework for gender-responsive development. The initiative aims to support women entrepreneurs currently limited by lack of financing and market information.

The players

ECOFEPA

An association focused on trade facilitation and political development within the ECOWAS region.

The details

The masterclass provided a forum for parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, and exporters to exchange strategies on navigating regional trade. Participants were urged to adopt new technologies and formalize business structures to move beyond informal market constraints. By building leadership experience, the association aims to prepare women for broader export opportunities.

Timeline

  1. September 25, 2026: The executive masterclass was held.

  2. 2025-2034: The duration of the National Gender Policy.

Market Landscape

This development follows the implementation of Ghana's National Gender Policy 2025-2034. It marks a shift toward integrating formal policy frameworks to catalyze women-owned enterprises into the broader regional trade landscape.

Business owners should monitor the implementation of the National Gender Policy to identify new financing or training resources available in the ECOWAS region. Leveraging digital tools remains the primary lever for scaling informal operations into global markets.

The takeaway

Success for women-led firms depends on transitioning from informal trade to utilizing institutional support and technology. Operators should track updates to national gender policies to identify specific capacity-building programs in their jurisdictions.

Further reading

For broader context on current regional trade efforts, see International Trade.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News.

Live Poll

Are local government policies doing enough to help women-owned businesses expand into larger markets?