The forum was attended by 30 participants representing various cross border associations from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A position statement was adopted at the forum outlining policy proposals and addressing the challenges faced by women in trade.

This article was originally published on the Southern Africa Trust website. The original article can be found here.

On the 10th and 11th of July 2013, the Southern Africa Trust in partnership with the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association (SABCTA) convened a regional women cross border traders forum on mainstreaming gender in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Trade Policy and the Tripartite Free Trade Area Policy Framework.

The aim was to raise awareness on gender and trade policies that have been put in place to benefit women Informal Cross Border Traders (ICBTs) including the SADC Protocols on Trade; the SADC Protocols on Gender and Development; the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) and the Tripartite Free Trade Area policy framework (TFTA).

The women cross border traders also discussed the importance of mainstreaming gender in the SADC regional trade policy and the TFTA Policy Framework. The need for increased networking, coordination and collaboration amongst women ICBTs was identified in order to single out key challenges that are faced in transacting trade in the SADC region and also to review what must be done to promote and empower women in informal cross border trade within the region.

The forum, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, was attended by 30 participants representing various cross border associations from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Participants recognised it as the first of its kind which offered female cross border traders an opportunity for greater involvement in formulating and influencing key policy agendas in areas that affected them.

A position statement was adopted at the forum outlining policy proposals and addressing the challenges faced by women in trade.

Click here to download the position statement. Women In Philanthropy is one of six plenaries slated for WINGS Forum 2014: The Power of Networks. Follow on Twitter with #WFnetworks. For event details and to register, visit the WINGS Forum website.