Under the EU Youth Empowerment Project – Tourism and Creative Industries, ITC’s She Trades Initiative is delivering practical skills workshop to help women and youth-led MSMEs strengthen market related soft skills, mindset, communication and pitching so that they can access buyers, partners and new market opportunities in tourism, agribusiness, fashion and handicraft.
Led by the International Trade Center (ITC) and SheTrades, the initiative exposed 13 trainers and 31 women entrepreneurs to practical skills and ways to help them and youth-led MSMEs strengthen market-related soft skills, mindset, communication, and pitching to enable them access buyers, partners and also harness new market opportunities in tourism, agribusiness, fashion, and handicrafts.
The participants graduated last Friday 19th June 2026 after undergoing a five-day capacity building organised by the ITC with funding under the EU Youth Empowerment Project - Tourism and Creative Industries.
The training organised in collaboration with the SheTrades Gambia Hub, also focused on market-related interpersonal skills aims to build a pool of trainers who can deliver market-related soft skills to women and youth-led MSMEs in The Gambia.
Yusupha Keita, ITC Country Representative tasked participants to build their businesses around the needs of customers to enable a fast and business growth, while urging participants to put the knowledge gained into practice.
Lumana Kamashi from the European Union office spoke of EU’s commitment to promoting inclusive economic growth, private sector development, job creation, and greater opportunities for young people and women across The Gambia.
She reminded that women entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in this process, emphasising that their businesses contribute not only to income generation, but also to innovation, community development, and the wider visibility of Gambian products, services, and stories.
Mrs. Beatrice Mbodge, Chief Executive Officer of Gambia Women Chamber of Commerce, urged participants to endeavour to help others grow their businesses, saying a lot of women are out there doing their businesses on their own who are not part of any business network. “We want to really see the change in you,” she said.
Neneh Touray, deputy director for Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, thanked ITC and SheTrades for the initiative.
