UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women initiative has joined forces with Deutsche Post DHL Group, a leading player in international logistics, to help women overcome some of the barriers to global digital trade. According to a recent UNCTAD study, inadequate access to reliable and affordable trade logistics is among the top challenges many e-commerce businesses face in developing countries. Such obstacles often affect more women business owners than their male counterparts as they also tend to have less access to knowledge, funding, and support.
As a pilot activity, two small business owners who are members of eTrade for Women communities entered the highly selective DHL GoTrade GBSN Fellowship Program on 5 April. Joint efforts between eTrade for Women and Deutsche Post DHL Group are expected to expand the fellowship scheme to benefit more women digital entrepreneurs in developing countries in the coming years. The eTrade for Women initiative is funded by the Netherlands and Sweden.