The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the most ambitious economic projects in the world. Its success will ultimately be measured by a single test: whether it delivers real benefits to all the people meant to gain from it, including the women who make up so much of Africa's trading economy.

The HerAfCFTA Regional Conference brings that test to the centre of the conversation. Convened by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment of Nigeria and the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Conference gathers trade ministers, women entrepreneurs, policymakers, private sector leaders, financial institutions and development partners in Abuja for a single day of high-level dialogue and practical exchange.

Five years into AfCFTA implementation, the question is no longer whether women should participate in Africa's single market, but how to equip them with the capacity, capital and market share to compete and grow within it.

Women in the AfCFTA

To address the specific barriers facing women and youth in trade, AU member States adopted a dedicated AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, embedding their economic participation directly into the agreement's framework.

The Conference builds on the HerAfCFTA Initiative, designed to accelerate women's economic participation in intra-African trade. The Initiative brings together leaders from government, the private sector, development partners and civil society around a shared goal: turning the promise of AfCFTA into tangible gains for women across the continent.

This Conference carries that work forward, translating commitment into concrete solutions.

Conference Objectives

The HerAfCFTA Regional Conference is designed to produce strategic dialogue and practical outcomes across the following areas:

• Political commitment and vision. The High-Level Welcome Session will secure global and regional political commitment to advancing women's economic participation in intra-African trade.
• Evidence and practical lessons. A panel of women who have traded across Africa using the AfCFTA agreement will share real-world experience and concrete lessons on what helps women-led trade and investment succeed.
• Government and business dialogue. A fireside chat with female ministers of trade will open direct engagement between policymakers and the private sector on how AfCFTA is implemented in practice.
• Partnership and support. A UNDP and IOM showcase will set out the programmes, support mechanisms and partnership opportunities already available to women trading across African markets.