Projects

Connecting 10,000+ Business Associations To
Engage 1 Million Women Who Trade (C1WT)

Africa, The Americas, and The Caribbean

C1WT Phase 1 Summary (Oct 2023–Apr 2025)

Phase 1 of Connecting 1 Million Women in Trade (C1WT) successfully proved the concept by mobilizing  the leaders of 10% of its target network and securing endorsements from top global leaders, institutions, and funding partners.

Background

The C1WT 8-Pillar Marketplace

  • Sector assessments, cross-border collaboration, and data-sharing via association-led think tanks.

  • Intra-regional collaboration, B2B linkages, and global exposure.

  • Mobilizing women-led associations to influence inclusive trade and economic policy.

  • Support services for certifications, logistics, compliance, and market entry.

  • Entrepreneurial upskilling, export readiness, and market literacy including Sustainability and ESG alignment.

  • Investment readiness, credit access, grant pipelines, and trade financing.

  • Digital tools for e-commerce, market access, and business growth.

  • Real-time KPIs, impact metrics, and transparency dashboards for all actors.

Over 1,000 business associations from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas engaged, representing women ready to trade globally, women preparing to trade globally, institutions supporting women in trade.

Key Achievements

Established the C1WT ecosystem framework and strategy committee:

  • Engaged high-profile influencers, policymakers, and institutions.

  • Developed the global implementation roadmap and digital onboarding platform.

  • Secured co-implementation partners including:

    — Oakwood Green Africa

    — George Washington University

    — Hosted 4 major Call-to-Action events in Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Nigeria, featuring global leaders and national decision-makers.

Outcome of Phase 1

C1WT phase 1 demonstrated proof of concept by mobilizing 10% of its target network and obtaining institutional, corporate, and global champion endorsements. Phase 1 was successful by engaging representatives of a minimum of 1,000+ businesses from Africa, the Caribbean, and The Americas to include business associations that work with:

i. Women ready for trade,

ii. Women preparing to trade,

iii. Institutions that support women who trade.

Notable Global Leaders & High-Profile Supporters

Objective

To empower one million women in trade by activating a high-impact, digitally driven 8-Pillar Marketplace across 102 countries. Through the structured on boarding of 10,000+ associations and cooperatives each reaching at least 100 women, C1WT delivers a turnkey solution that addresses systemic barriers to trade. This includes providing access to trade intelligence, capital, capacity-building, strategic partnerships, and policy engagement—ensuring that every woman has the infrastructure and institutional support to scale in global markets.

About C1WT

Connecting 1 Million Women In Trade (C1WT) is a private-sector-led movement anchored in a robust digital marketplace structured around eight core pillars: Trade Intelligence, Training & Capacity Building, Strategic Partnerships, Access to Finance, Policy Advocacy, Technology Enablement, Trade Advisory, and Monitoring & Evaluation. These pillars function as an integrated ecosystem designed to transition women from informal participation to formal trade leadership, whether they are preparing to trade, ready to scale globally, or part of institutions supporting women in commerce.

C1WT is more than an initiative. It’s a marketplace-based engine for gender-inclusive economic development. By equipping women entrepreneurs and associations with the critical tools, networks, and data-driven insights they need, the C1WT Marketplace creates measurable impact, accelerates inclusive growth, and drives sustainable transformation from grassroots to grasstops.

  • H.E. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

    Director-General, World Trade Organization

  • H.E. John Dramani Mahama

    Former President of Ghana

  • H.E. Joseph Nyumah Boakai

    President of Liberia

  • H.E. Chief Jewel Howard-Taylor

    Former Vice President of Liberia

  • H.E. Epsy Campbell

    Former Vice President of Costa Rica; President, UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

  • H.E. Adeniyi Adebayo

    Former Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Nigeria

  • H.E. Kitoko Gata Ngoulou

    Ambassador of Chad to the USA

  • H.E. Jean Bosco Barege

    Ambassador of Burundi to the USA

  • Leora Klapper

    Director, World Development Report, World Bank

  • Michael Bennett

    Head of Market Solutions, World Bank

  • Uzziel Ndagijimana

    Minister of Finance & Economic Planning, Rwanda

  • John Rwangombwa

    Governor, Central Bank of Rwanda

  • Daniele Jean-Pierre

    Director for Trade, Prosper Africa

  • Charles H. DeBow III

    President & CEO, National Black Chamber of Commerce

  • Kola Aina

    SVP, Strategy & Operations NAM

C1WT Phase 2 Launch—Scaling Women in Trade Across the Globe

Connecting 1 Million Women in Trade (C1WT) is proud to announce the official launch of Phase 2—a bold, transformative rollout to mobilize, onboard, and empower women entrepreneurs across 102 countries through our high-impact 8-Pillar Digital Marketplace.

Over the next 36 months, C1WT will host in-country leadership engagements and press conferences in partnership with Heads of State, global institutions, and national business associations—ensuring that women entrepreneurs have the access, tools, and networks to trade without borders.

Mission

Our Mission in Phase 2 includes:

  • Onboard 100+ women’s trade associations per country—each reaching 100+ women entrepreneurs

  • Provide access to trade intelligence, finance, technology, and policy advocacy

  • Create a global pipeline of 1 million empowered women in trade

  • Align national policies with inclusive, gender-responsive trade frameworks

  • Showcase the diverse sectors where women lead—from agriculture and manufacturing to creative industries and technology.

Upcoming In-Country Events

  • Presented in partnership with GUBA and Oakwood Green Africa 

    Hosted by: Office of the President, Republic of Ghana Directorate of Diaspora Affairs

    Collaborations: African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Office of the President in Ghana , 24‑Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+)”, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI)

  • Host: Office of the President of Liberia

  • Host: Former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson Institute

  • Presented and hosted by: GUBA, Consulate of Barbados in the Republic of Ghana, Office of the Prime Minister, Government of Barbados

  • Host: The Metropolitan Club Nigeria’s most exclusive private members’ club (and perhaps West Africa’s), known for its highly selective membership, distinguished founding lineage, and status as a premier gathering place for the nation’s political and business elite.

Why This Matters

The C1WT 8-Pillar Marketplace connects women-led associations to:

  • Global buyers & investors

  • Policy influence platforms

  • Trade finance and grants

  • Digital tools for scaling businesses

  • Strategic partnerships that cross continents

By Phase 2’s conclusion, millions of women will have new access to markets, financing, training, and global visibility—cementing women as equal architects of global trade.

Governing Council

  • Evelyn A. Lewis

    Founder & CEO, SBTS Group

  • Ian Campbell

    Governor Wes Moore African Affairs Commissioner, Chair—Business Development Committee, and International Government Relations

  • Dr. Rosalea Hamilton

    Honorary Consul, Republic of Sierra Leone, Jamaica

  • Venan Sondo

    Advisor to the Ghana Ministry of Finance and multinational corporations operating in West Africa

  • Chanel T. Rowe, Esq.

    Senior Counsel, Johnson & Johnson, Community leader and Philanthropist

  • Maisie Dunbar

    Special Envoy to the President of Liberia and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Trade and Investment

  • Marvin Dickerson

    Trusted advisor to numerous equity-focused NGOs and philanthropic networks dedicated to economic justice and youth development

  • Olayinka Akinkugbe

    Chairman of FanMilk Nigeria Plc

  • Abimbola Olufore Wycliffe

    Former Head of Investment and Technology Promotion at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)—Nigeria

  • Babatunde Patrick Coker

    Retired senior officer of the Nigerian Navy and long-serving strategist within the United Nations system

Chairing Advisory Council

  • Wole A. Akande

    Chairman of MV International Inc.

  • H.E. Otunda Richard Adeniyi Adebayor

    Former Minister of Trade for Nigeria (2019-2023)

  • The Most Hon. P.J. Patterson

    Prime Minister of Jamaica (1992-2006), Statesman-in Residence, P.J. Patterson

  • H.E. Chief Jewel Howard-Taylor

    Vice President, Republic of Liberia (Former), Secretary General of the African First Ladies Peace Mission

  • Jan Du Plain

    International Correspondents Committee, National Press Club; President/CEO, Du Plain Global Enterprises, Inc.

  • Samuel A. Wlue

    Former Minister of Transport, Republic of Liberia (2018-2023)

  • Frank A. Bello

    Chief Investment Officer, Howard University

  • Dr. Kingsley Lington Ighobor

    Strategist Communications Specialists, United Nations

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