Main photo caption: ITUC-Africa C190 demonstration at the sidelines of the Trade Union Regional Capacity Building and Engagement Academy: Informal Economy Actors in Trade – The case of women and youth in the AfCFTA | November 2023, Kenya.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) seeks to improve intra-African trade and create a unified market for over 1.4 billion people. However, women and youth in informal cross-border trade, who contribute to intra-trade growth, miss out on the benefits of free trade.

The AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade promises to promote sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development, equality for women and youth and the structural transformation of State Parties. The key lessons from the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime (STR) and one-stop border post highlight what the Protocol needs to facilitate trade for women cross border traders. 

The gendered face of informal trade in Africa

Up to 80 per cent of informal cross-border traders are women, responsible for between 30 percent and 72 percent of formal trade among neighbouring countries on the continent, according to the Economic Commission for Africa. Despite their vital contribution to Informal cross-border trade, women informal traders face a stacked deck: lack of trade facilitation, inadequate border infrastructure, limited access to finance and secure payment systems, corruption, gender-based violence and harassment, and insecurity. These challenges, according to the African Export-Import Bank, restrict the realisation of the full developmental potential of ICBT in Africa.

Take the experience of female traders in the Great Lakes region, documented under COMESA’s Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Program. Women traders reported frequent harassment, arbitrary arrests, bribe extortion, and sexual exploitation at the hands of border security officers. In one case, a pregnant trader was beaten with a stick by a border official because she had too little to confiscate. These events reflect a broader issue in trade affecting many women across the continent.

Without proper protection or complaint systems, women are forced to use unsafe trade routes, which heightens their risk of violence. The issues underscore the need for gender-responsive policies to improve trade access.

“The women and youth in trade protocol signals a commitment to leaving no one behind. However, it requires further enrichment to ensure that vulnerable groups benefit meaningfully in trade. For example, gender equality provisions must be more detailed and outline clear mechanisms for implementation and accountability. Who will oversee the enforcement of these commitments? How will they be put into practice? Workers must have a voice in shaping AfCFTA negotiations and development. We are calling for formal national social dialogue mechanisms and inclusion in AfCFTA national implementation committees.” – Rose Omamo, Deputy President of ITUC-Africa.

The AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade

Adopted in February 2024, the Protocol aims to advance the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in the AfCFTA. It mandates state parties to take concrete steps to remove trade-related barriers and create supportive policy environments. These include:

• Access to finance, information and capacity building
• Protections against gender-based violence and harassment
• Mechanisms for inclusive policy-making
• Recognition of the unique role of informal cross-border traders

These are encouraging commitments. But they are not self-executing. The principles must translate into action at ground level. 

The COMESA STR: What good policy might look like

The COMESA Simplified Trade Regime (STR), implemented in 2010, helps small-scale traders, particularly women, engage in regional trade with less bureaucracy. The STR offers a Simplified Certificate of Origin, a standard list of duty-free goods, and allows eligibility for consignments valued at up to USD 2,000. The initiative proved beneficial at the Mchinji – Mwami One-Stop Border post between Malawi and Zambia:

• Border crossing time has reduced from days to hours.
• Traders undergo joint customs and immigration clearance in one location.
• Women benefit from dedicated sanitation facilities, safer inspection areas, and access to Trade Information Desk Officers who guide them through procedures.

Gender-responsive trade facilitation must be practical, targeted, and grounded in the everyday realities of the people it serves. Despite the success, issues remain: many traders lack awareness of their rights, language barriers hinder understanding of documents, and corruption and harassment persist. But the important thing is there is a system in place to address issues.

Lessons for the AfCFTA protocol on women and youth

A simplified trade regime for women and youth in cross-border trade.

1. Red tape disproportionately affects small-scale women traders. A simplified trade regime for women and youth in cross-border trade, with clear, accessible information in local languages.
2. One-stop border posts, well-trained trade information officers, and safe facilities are prerequisites for fair trade.
3. Gender-based violence at borders is a social issue and trade barrier. We need gender desks, efficient reporting mechanisms and accountability systems at every border post.
4. Most women traders operate outside formal channels. Trade policy must promote laws for small-scale trade practices and the collection of gender-disaggregated data.
5. Empower trade unions and civil society. Organisations like the Alliance of Female Cross-Border Traders Associations in Southern Africa provide critical support.  Unions recognise the opportunity for strengthening organising in the informal economy and have some policy options. 

This article is based on the presentations for Session 5 of the 2025 TRALAC Annual Conference.

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