Amplifying Our Voices: Empowering Women Through Trade Facilitation

This webinar is for entrepreneurs and professionals engaging in trade across the African continent to learn about the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and how its implementation can work for women and their businesses.

Moderator:

• Mucha Mlingo, Founder & Lead Changemaker, PTS Africa

Panelists:

•  Esther Ndichu, Managing Director Southern and Eastern Africa, UPS
• Tshengi Ndlovu, President, OWIT Zimbabwe
• Candice White, Knowledge Specialist, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation
• Mary Heather White, TFO Canada

Structure:

15:00-15:05 Introduction and Opening

15:05-15:15 The Trade Facilitation Agreement

15:15-15:45 Panel Presentations/Panelist Opening Remarks

15:45-16:15 Panel Discussion and Q&A

16:15-16:30 Closing Remarks

Who we are:

The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation works with the public and private sector as equal partners to address delays and unnecessary red tape at borders and deploy targeted reforms that deliver commercially quantifiable results.

The Organization of Women in International Trade supports the advancement of women in international trade and business by providing networking and educational opportunities. OWIT has local chapters around the world including the newly founded OWIT Zimbabwe.

Panelist Info

Sitshengisiwe Ndlovu, MBA

President, OWIT Zimbabwe

Tshengi  is a champion of the trade and gender  agenda. She is self –driven and passionate about  women economic empowerment. She is also the founder and President of Organisation of Women in International Trade Zimbabwe Chapter (OWIT). Tshengi has vast experience in trade facilitation having worked extensively for the of the government of Zimbabwe and the private sector primarily the logistic industry. Her business acumen has enabled her to sit in various boards of different successful entities. As s an eloquent speaker, Tshengi has been able to negotiate, initiate dialogue on difficult topics  endearing herself to different communities obtaining within society.

Esther Ndichu

Managing Director, UPS Southern Africa

Esther Ndichu is the Managing Director for UPS in Southern and Eastern Africa based out of Johannesburg, South Africa since April 2018. In her current role, she is responsible for managing and growing the UPS business in the South Africa and managing the network of UPS Authorized Service Contractors in the Eastern and Southern region of the continent. Most recently, Esther served as Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations for UPS in the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa, based in Dubai, since January 2016.  In this role, she was responsible for public/government and customs affairs for the region. Her core focus areas and interests included increasing cross border trade and identifying ways to assist SMEs to access global markets.

Mary Heather White, TFO Canada

Program Director – Africa / Directrice de programme pour l’Afrique

Mary Heather is Program Director for TFO Canada’s programs in Africa and Haiti. She is currently managing two projects funded by Global Affairs Canada, “Making Trade Work for Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lesotho, Uganda, Madagascar and Ethiopia” and “Women in Trade for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth” which is implemented in 12 Sub-Saharan African countries. She also works on a research project funded by the International Development Research Centre covering Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Madagascar. Her role includes planning and implementation, donor communications and partnership management. Mary Heather has more than 20 years of experience in the development sector contributing to sustainable and inclusive livelihoods for women, men and youth through vocational skills training, entrepreneurship and disaster response and recovery, and by

Candice White

Knowledge Specialist, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation

Candice works with the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, a joint initiative of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris and the Centre for International Private Enterprise in Washington D.C., in partnership with GIZ. The Alliance helps developing and least developed countries to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement. The Alliance is currently implementing projects in 11 countries including Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria. Candice works on making Alliance projects inclusive of gender and small businesses.