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- Part of ITC SheTrades Initiative’s aim to connect 3 million women entrepreneurs to international markets by 2021
Geneva/Dubai: Dubai Exports, the export promotion agency of Dubai Economy, along with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and UPS (NYSE:UPS continue supporting women entrepreneurs through a two-day workshop that began today at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai, and focus on expanding their cross border business opportunities. Held under the theme “Preparing for Export”, the workshop forms part of ITC’s SheTrades initiative, which aims to connect three million women entrepreneurs to market by 2021.
“The UAE’s emphasis on women empowerment and Dubai’s strengths as the region’s business and exports hub can contribute to establishing a gender balance in global trade,” said Engineer Saed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports. “The UAE is ranked as a leading country in gender equality regionally and initiatives to support innovative enterprise are encouraging UAE women to launch and lead businesses. Dubai Exports is proud to see that our participation in SheTrades MENA is bringing new opportunities for ambitious women in the region.”
“Supporting women-owned businesses to capture international growth opportunities is part of UPS’s strategic focus of helping small businesses in high growth markets to succeed,” said Rami Suleiman, UPS president for Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa. “These workshops give participants insight into the SheTrades project - its goals and activities. It’s also an opportunity for us as logistics providers to learn about the key issues and challenges female entrepreneurs face in the Middle East. We very much look forward to continuing our work in this field to create equal opportunities for growth.”
The initiative aims to create an ecosystem of solutions that empower women economically through greater integration in trade. It is focused on increasing the participation of women-owned businesses in trade by improving their competitiveness, providing new opportunities within trade logistics and strengthening the support available to them to generate business. The project is aligned with the UPS Women Exporters Program, a global effort to promote the growth of women-owned businesses.
A recent report analysed thousands of regional investments in start-ups across the MENA region last year and found that only 14% of deals were with start-ups founded by women.[1] Experts also suggest that if women and men were to participate in the economy equally, the global annual GDP would increase by $28 trillion, or 26%, by 2025. Achieving gender balance on boards as well as throughout the executive ranks is widely recognized as a global economic imperative.
“Economies that provide better opportunities for women entrepreneurs are stronger and more competitive,” said Vanessa Erogbogbo, Chief, Sustainable and Inclusive Value Chains. “We are delighted to partner with UPS and Dubai Exports to connect women entrepreneurs to experts from leading global companies in an enriching environment where they can also gain inspiration from other successful women entrepreneurs.”
The SheTrades Initiative is working with partners, including governments, private-sector companies, international organizations, and others, to expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs by acting on key pillars to catalyze international trade. These pillars include championing quality data, enacting fair policies, enabling market access, unlocking financial services and granting ownership rights.
The two-day workshop brought speakers from a range of organizations including Dubai Exports, Expo 2020 Dubai, PayPal, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, APCO and Sealed Air. The attendees learned how to expand a business with an export strategy and improve foreign markets awareness. The event also included interactive sessions on how to improve competitiveness, get the right packaging and case studies in to becoming successful entrepreneurs.
The SheTrades initiative is present in more than 25 countries and globally, more than 120 corporations and institutions have signed up to support the initiative.
-Ends-
Media Contact:
Maud Gaspard
+971 4 807 8745
mgaspard@ups.com
Jarle Hetland
+41 79 582 9180
hetland@intracen.org
About Dubai Exports
Dubai Exports, an agency of Dubai Economy (Department of Economic Development - Government of Dubai) commenced operations in 2007. The Dubai Exports’ mandate is to facilitate trade from Dubai and establish itself as a world-class export development and promotion body by creating an enabling environment for Dubai’s exporters. Dubai Exports has developed a range of value-added trade support services to UAE-based firms exporting through Dubai, for accelerated and profitable expansion of their businesses in foreign markets.
For further information, please contact:
Faisal Shamsudheen,
Tel: (971 4) 445 5927
Email: faisal.pathiasseri@dubaided.gov.ae
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. UPS was awarded America’s Best Customer Service company for Shipping and Delivery services by Newsweek magazine; Forbes Most Valuable Brand in Transportation; and top rankings on the JUST 100 list for social responsibility, the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, and the Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, among other prestigious rankings and awards. The company can be found on the web at ups.com or pressroom.ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. The company’s sustainability eNewsletter, UPS Horizons, can be found at ups.com/sustainabilitynewsletter. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter. To ship with UPS, visit ups.com/ship.
For more information about the joint collaboration between UPS and ITC, please visit www.shetrades.com/en/projects/shetrades-and-ups
For queries regarding SheTrades or the training sessions and workshops, please email: womenandtrade@intracen.org
About the International Trade Centre
The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Through the SheTrades initiative, the International Trade Centre aims to connect three million women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses to international markets by 2021. The initiative brings together stakeholders around the world to work on seven actions to address trade barriers and create greater opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
For more information, visit www.intracen.org . Follow ITC on Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram
For more information on ITC SheTrades, visit www.shetrades.com
[1] Source: Arabnet, in partnership with The Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (Dubai SME)
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