tralac launched its ‘Women in Trade Governance Network’ (‘SheGovernsTrade’) during its 2019 Annual Conference in Nairobi. Our program supports women working in trade policy and governance to build technical capacity in international trade governance, to develop professional skills, including change management and to enhance women’s participation in trade governance across the continent.

This network has two pillars:

• a network of women in trade governance working on Africa’s trade governance at national, regional, continental and multilateral levels

• a development program for junior and mid-career women professionals designed to increase their technical and leadership skills with respect to rules-based trade governance.

SheGovernsTrade webinar with tralac Alumni

2021 SheGovernsTrade development program

Overall program objective

Capacitate and empower especially young women policymakers as they contribute to enhance trade governance in Africa

Specific program objectives

• Increase trade technical skills

• Increase leadership and professional skills

Core principles of the program

• Mainstreaming women in trade governance

• Peer learning

Mainstreaming

We aim to empower women in trade policy and governance roles, without creating any divided spaces. We support inclusive policy making and governance processes.

We also encourage participants in this program to take part in other tralac training and events alongside the specific activities in the SheGovernsTrade Development Program. The program will be offered digitally.

Peer learning

Program activities

Initial training week: 12 – 16 April 2021

• Programme orientation, introductions, agreeing common purpose

• Trade technical training

• Professional development (professional communication – oral and written)

Ongoing digital program (details to follow)

• Developing a mentoring relationship

• Trade technical webinar series: current issues on Africa’s trade agenda; trade data, tariff and policy analysis

• Professional skills: blog writing

• Trade technical: online video content, reading, online tasks 

Class of 2021

	Alhassan Adamu is studying biotechnology and molecular biology. She is a youth advocate, a spoken word artist and a gender activist, working towards empowering local women farmers producing spices in Ghana.
	Rutendo Rachael Chilengi is a policy analyst, and a Community development specialist. Policy and advocacy assistant at WaterAid in Zambia.
	Shari Hammond is a gender and trade specialist, currently working on a Trade Facilitation in West Africa project.
	Tamika Kampini is PhD student of Governance and Regional Integration at Pan African University/African Union. Her research is on “Agricultural Trade, Labour Productivity and socio-economic development in Malawi”.
	Donah Mafabi is an Economist and Community-activist from Uganda.
	Marie-Nadine Makoudoum has a special interest on women and youth in development and the opportunities of the AFCFTA.
	Masego Rethabile Maika, an Economist by profession, recently completed a Research Fellowship with UNECA, based at its Sub Regional office, IDEP in Dakar, Senegal.
	Moreen Mwangi is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and has been assisting to update Kenya’s enforcement manual on illicit trade and the review of Kenya’s standard operating procedures for imports and exports.
	Saara Mbili-Yetu Niitenge is a trade statistician at the Namibia Statistics Agency.
	Kimberley Nyajeka is a trade and investment lawyer based in Harare, Zimbabwe.