Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 15 February – On the margins of the African Union Summit, H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, participated in the High-Level Meeting on Stock-Taking Progress of the AfCFTA: What’s on the Table for Women Traders, organised by CAWEE and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

In his remarks, H.E. Mene reaffirmed the central role of women-owned businesses in Africa’s economy and stressed the importance of ensuring they fully benefit from the AfCFTA’s opportunities. He highlighted the need to deploy digital payments and financial tools tailored for women and youth, particularly at land borders, to enhance financial inclusion and facilitate seamless trade.

He further emphasised that the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade must support MSMEs in accessing financial services, enabling them to scale their businesses and integrate more effectively into regional and global markets.

The discussions underscored the AfCFTA’s commitment to inclusive trade policies that empower women traders, ensuring they play a key role in driving Africa’s economic transformation.