On April 13, 2021, Banyan Global presented the findings and recommendations from the Women’s Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality (WEEGE) in Trade Facilitation: The Role of Customs and Border Services report to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Commercial Law Development Program’s (CLDP) Central Asia Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Working Group. The CLDP WEE Working Group, made up of private sector women entrepreneurs from five Central Asian countries, was constituted under the U.S.-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and is funded through the U.S. Department of State. The CLDP WEE Working Group focuses on regional connectivity and increased trade and economic activity by women-owned businesses in and across Central Asia and between Central Asia and other countries and regions in the world, including Afghanistan. The goals of the CLDP WEE Working Group are to (1) increase trade and economic activity by women-owned businesses in and across Central Asia through strategic partnerships between local and national chambers of commerce and trade associations, and (2) increase trade and commerce in Central Asia through advancements made in digital commerce. 

During this online discussion, Banyan Global’s gender analysis technical team provided suggestions on how to promote WEEGE at the border and within customs and border services. The report was produced under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Women’s Economic Empowerment and Equality Technical Assistance task order. The full report and fact sheets are available on Marketlinks.