What: The 2023 edition of the AfCFTA Conference on Women and Youth in Trade.

Who: The conference is being convened by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.

When: The AfCFTA Conference on Women and Youth in Trade will be held from 6 – 8 December 2023.

Where: The Conference will take place in a hybrid format, where participants can attend in-person at the Julius Nyerere Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania and online via zoom and live streaming platforms.

Objectives:

The conference seeks to engage stakeholders and strengthen partnerships to ensure increased participation of women in trade in the AfCFTA. The objectives therefore are to:  

• enhance knowledge among women in trade on the AfCFTA, and its operational instruments to improve engagement on the AfCFTA;
• Strengthen the capacity of women to participate in the AfCFTA market;
• share best practices on accelerating the participation of women in the AfCFTA among public, private, civil society, and partner stakeholders to inform the implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade;
• build synergies and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders for an accelerated and inclusive implementation of the AfCFTA by enhancing women’s participation;
• provide a platform for promotion of women in trade, business linkages, and peer learning;
• define priorities and identify key interventions for the inclusive implementation of AfCFTA Agreement, its protocols, especially the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade;
• develop a partners’ collaborative framework on the implementation of the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade;
• launch and inform the agenda of the Champion of Women and Youth in Trade under the AfCFTA.

The intended objective of this year’s edition under the theme: “Enhancing the Participation of Women in Trade in the Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation”, shall be achieved through the formats the conference will be composed of, which are namely high-level dialogues and roundtables, panel discussions, Masterclasses, Exhibitions, networking opportunities and online platform engagements.

Participants: 

The Conference will be held in-person and online (hybrid) with participation of female and youth leaders, entrepreneurs, business associations, SMEs and corporates in sectors with high levels of women and youth employment, Government Officials from Ministries responsible for trade, gender and youth in Africa, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), AfCFTA Strategic Partners and multilateral institutions, Trade and Investment Support Institutions, both public and private Financial institutions, the Media, Women and youth empowerment and Women’s and Youth’s Rights advocacy initiatives, Women and youth Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on SMEs, Trade and Entrepreneurship and Academia.

Journalists are invited to cover the AfCFTA Women and Youth in Trade Conference at the Julius Nyerere Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania from 6 – 8 December 2023.

You are kindly entreated to arrive, 30 minutes before the start of the programme.

For further information, please contact: 

Ms. Grace Khoza, Principal Communications Advisor | African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat | E-mail: [email protected] | Accra, Ghana

Ms. Elydora Matubanzila, Communications Officer | African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat| E-mail: [email protected] | Accra, Ghana

Communication | Marketing | Advocacy Division, African Continental Free Trade Area | 

E-mail: [email protected] 

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