The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially launched the third edition of its regional awareness campaign aimed at promoting and protecting the interests of small-scale women traders along the Abidjan–Lagos corridor.
The high-level ceremony took place on 30th June 2025 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and was co-chaired by the country’s Ministers of Trade and of Women, alongside H.E. Massandjé Touré-Litsé, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture.
The event featured a public town hall meeting and highlighted impactful initiatives supported by the German Development Agency (GIZ) focusing on gender equity, cross-border trade facilitation, and regional economic integration.
Stakeholders from government institutions, women’s associations, and regional development partners convened to reaffirm their commitment to boosting women’s participation in regional trade and strengthening inclusive economic opportunities across West Africa.
This campaign underscores ECOWAS’s dedication to removing barriers faced by women in cross-border trade, ensuring safer, more profitable business environments for female entrepreneurs, and advancing the region’s integration agenda.
