Address challenges to enhance crossborder trade — Report
TO enhance cross-border trade through trade facilitation and finance, the negotiation team on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Women and the Youth should prioritise addressing challenges faced by women traders, a report has said.
The challenges include time constraints, burdensome customs requirements, limited access to finance and exposure to harassment.
The AfCFTA Protocol on Women and the Youth aims to promote sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development, the equal opportunity for women and youth in intra-Africa trade, and the structural transformation of African economies.
The report titled: “Situational Analysis on Women and Youth for Ghana on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” said these challenges were particularly pronounced for small-scale women traders in developing and least-developed economies of which Ghana is no exception.
Conducted by a gender research organisation, the Aya Institute for Women, Politics and Media, with support from the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH(GIZ) Ghana, under the 'Programme Support Scheme for the AfCFTA', the report provides a situational analysis and position paper on women and youth in trade for Ghana towards the negotiations on the AfCFTA.
It also assessed the current institutional, regulatory and policy/ strategy frameworks as well as international trends and national practices regarding aspects of women and youth in trade and how Ghana can best position itself to take advantage of the protocol and how to advance its specific objectives, interests, and positions within negotiations.
Presenting the report at a stakeholder workshop for women-led Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and youth in Accra, the programmes and Communications Coordinator for Aya Institute for Women, Politics and Media, Bridget Biney, said the design and implementation of effective trade facilitation measures hinged on identifying the specific challenges and barriers faced by cross-border traders, including women.
“The adoption and implementation of domestic policies in compliance with commitments established under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) can be a catalyst for women traders by creating predictable and efficient customs processes, reducing clearance times and trade costs, reducing the opportunity for fraudulent practices at the border, and increasing the involvement of women in trade facilitation decision mechanisms,” she said.
Findings
Highlighting a myriad of issues and challenges faced by women-led businesses in trading across Africa, Certification processes emerged as a major hurdle, with concerns about its complexity, cost and impact on competitiveness.
“Access to finance and credit, discriminatory social and cultural norms, limited representation in decision-making processes, and unequal access to market information were also significant challenges.
Regulatory issues, high taxes and difficulty in accessing trade finance added to the obstacles. Participants emphasised that these challenges were persistent, often leading to financial losses and hindering the growth of women-led businesses,” the report said.
“The need for a more streamlined certification system, improved access to finance, and gender-inclusive policies across African countries was a common theme in the responses,” it added.
Support
The Gender Sub-Committee Chairperson on Trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI), Naa Densua Aryeetey, said the government has been collaborating with women and the youth to ensure these two significant demographics can sign up to the trade agreement.
She said more women-led businesses have emerged since the inception of AfCFTA, adding that the women and youth protocol would ensure that gender-specific challenges that affected Ghanaian traders such as harassment at the borders would be addressed to make trading conducive for women.
For his part, a representative of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE), Emmanuel Agbesi, said young entrepreneurs needed an enabling environment to effectively trade and contribute to the local economy.
A representative from GIZ Ghana, Angela Benefo in her remarks said GIZ Ghana was partnering with gender organisations such as the Aya Institute for Women, to conduct research on women and AfCFTA with the aim of improving gender-specific trade outcomes in MSMEs in Ghana.
GIZ Ghana has been supporting the Aya Institute for Women since 2022 to carry out research in the area of trade and women-led MSMEs in Ghana.
Furthering Dubai’s commitment to accessible travel and in time for World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April; Emirates has achieved a Certified Autism Center Designation for all of its Dubai Check In Facilities – Emirates City Check-in & Travel Store in DIFC, Emirates Cruise Check In – Port Rashid, Emirates Cruise Check In – Dubai Harbour and Emirates City Check-In Ajman, in addition to the Emirates’ dedicated hub in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
The certification, awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) ensures that all Emirates facilities in Dubai have taken a significant step towards making travel more inclusive and accessible to neurodiverse customers, meeting criteria required for a comfortable and supported travel experience.
As part of the designation, Emirates employees at the various facilities underwent specialized training on autism and sensory awareness, to equip them with the understanding and skills to address needs of autistic travellers or those with sensory sensitivities, along with their families.
Comprehensive facilities audits were conducted across the locations, measuring all sensory inputs in public areas such as sound levels, lighting, and potential sights and smells to develop sensory guides, empowering travellers to make informed decisions and choose the environment that best suits their needs and preferences.
This achievement builds on the recent recognition of Dubai International Airport as the first international airport to earn the designation from IBCCES and aligns with the Department of Economy and Tourism’s (DET) vision of becoming the first Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) in the Middle East.
Emirates’ City Check-Ins across Dubai offer a seamless and stress-free pre-airport experience in convenient and easily accessible locations, where Emirates customers can check in for flights up to 24 hours in advance, drop off luggage between four and 24 hours before departure, and choose between agent-assisted check-ins, robot-assisted check-ins, or self-service kiosks, allowing a more relaxed travel experience.
Mohammed H. Mattar – Emirates DSVP Airport Services commented “As a global airline, Emirates is committed to providing a seamless travel experience for everyone. We recognize the challenges customers with autism and sensory sensitivities face in airport environments. That’s why we’ve proactively partnered with Dubai’s DET and IBCCES to certify all our city check-in locations across the UAE. This initiative is a crucial step forward in our ongoing mission to make travel inclusive and accessible for all.”
Myron Pincomb, Chairman of the Board for IBCCES remarked “Emirates is known worldwide for its exceptional guest service. Checking in for a flight is one of the most stressful segments of the whole travel experience. With the completion of the facilities, audit and the addition of the new sensory guides, the check-in procedure at the Check-in facilities will be more accommodating for people of determination, and especially those with sensory challenges.”
By working together – Emirates, Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Airports in collaboration with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, Dubai Police and Dubai Customs, are making travel more inclusive and accessible for all, reflecting Dubai’s commitment to becoming a leading destination for travellers with diverse needs.
IBCCES also created AutismTravel.com, a free online resource for families that lists certified destinations and connects families to other resources and each other. Each destination listed on the site has met the CAC requirements.