The AfCFTA Secretariat, under the auspices of the United Republic of Tanzania, will be convening the Inaugural AfCFTA Conference on Women and Youth in Trade from 12 – 14 September 2022 in Dar es Salaam. 

The importance of Women and Youth to the AfCFTA cannot be overstated. For the AfCFTA to be truly successful, businesses, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) in critical sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing (clothing and textiles) and services (especially tourism), informal trading, and professional services in which women and youth are predominantly engaged, must be supported to thrive. 

In order to achieve this objective, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union cemented a commitment to include a Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade in the scope of the AfCFTA Agreement. Therefore, in support of the preparatory phase of developing the Protocol and under the auspices of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Conference dubbed: “Women and Youth: The Engine of AfCFTA Trade in Africa”, is being organised.

The purpose of the Conference is to promote the participation of women and youth in trade, as they are the heart of trade on our continent, and thus need to be brought to be prioritised to foster opportunities under the Agreement.

The Conference will feature panels, report launches, Q&A sessions and fireside chats with key personalities including Heads of States, political and business leaders across the continent. The sessions will be streamed live for online participants