UAE Donates $5M to Women Exporters Fund: Empowering Women in Global Trade

During the activities of the thirteenth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, the “Women Exporters in the E-commerce Economy” fund was inaugurated. This fund aims to enhance women’s capabilities in the export sector and empower them to effectively engage in global value-added networks.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade and the President of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, announced that the UAE has contributed five million dollars in funding to the support fund designated for women in exports.

This announcement was made today on the sidelines of the conference proceedings, in the presence of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, and Pamela Coke-Hamilton, the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, abbreviated as ITC.

Al-Zeyoudi stated that the support is part of the financial aid provided by the United Arab Emirates to the designated funds within the World Trade Organization.

This fund, established by the organization, offers assistance to women who lead commercial projects around the world with the aim of ensuring their access to international markets. The UAE had previously announced its donation of ten million dollars to support the funds of the World Trade Organization, which are considered some of the most important within the organization.

These funds aim to utilize global trade to promote sustainable development goals, particularly in developing or least developed countries. The Women’s Support Fund in the export sector is a joint initiative launched by the World Trade Organization in collaboration with the International Trade Centre, aiming to facilitate and stimulate women managing export businesses.

This fund has been allocated a budget of 50 million dollars for the economic empowerment of enterprising women, taking advantage of digital capabilities to assist them in effectively integrating into global value chains.

According to information released by the World Trade Organization, the e-commerce sector, especially the trade of electronic services, is the most rapidly expanding segment within international trade, experiencing an annual growth rate of approximately 8% since the year 2005.