The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through the ECOWAS Centre for Gender Development (CCDG), is organizing the Regional Fortnight for small-scale cross-border trade carried out by women in the ECOWAS area from June 18 to 28, 2026 in Lomé, Togolese Republic.
This initiative is part of the implementation of the ECOWAS Gender and Trade Action Plan and the activities marking the close of the Organization’s 50th anniversary celebrations. It aims to highlight the essential contribution of cross-border women traders to regional integration, food security, and the economic development of West Africa.
Under the theme of women’s economic empowerment and leadership in regional trade , the fortnight will bring together representatives from Member States, women traders’ associations, financial institutions, border administrations, the private sector, and technical and financial partners. It will provide a regional platform for dialogue, sharing experiences, and consultation on the challenges and opportunities related to small-scale cross-border trade conducted by women.
The program will include a mini awareness-raising caravan along strategic border corridors, a regional trade fair/exhibition showcasing products from women-led agricultural, fisheries, and artisanal value chains, and a week of capacity building focused on ECOWAS community instruments, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and mechanisms for promoting women’s entrepreneurship. These activities will also capitalize on lessons learned from regional campaigns conducted by ECOWAS between 2023 and 2025 along the Tema–Ouagadougou, Dakar–Banjul–Bissau, and Abidjan–Lagos corridors.
Through this fortnight, ECOWAS reaffirms its commitment to promoting more inclusive, secure, and prosperous regional trade, placing women traders at the heart of West African integration. The event will contribute to the development of an agenda of actions and structuring projects aimed at sustainably strengthening the capacities, competitiveness, and access to economic opportunities of women engaged in small-scale cross-border trade within the community.
