A coalition of international business groups has unveiled the Global Trade Accelerator (GTA), a new digital platform designed to connect one million women-led enterprises to global markets.
The initiative, launched under the Connecting One Million Women to Trade (C1WT) programme, is positioned as one of the most ambitious efforts to scale women’s participation in cross-border commerce.
Organisers estimate that the platform could unlock up to $900 billion in new trade opportunities across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and diaspora markets, offering integrated tools for onboarding, market access, policy support, financing and global marketplace linkages.
The platform made its debut at the GUBA Trade and Investment Conference in Barbados before a multi-country rollout in Accra, Ghana.
The Barbados launch, held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, drew high-level attendees including President Dame Sandra Mason of Barbados; Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell; the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II; and senior representatives from Mastercard and the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Former Costa Rican Vice President, H.E. Epsy Campbell Barr, described the platform as ‘a collaborative framework to accelerate women-led trade across the Atlantic corridors.’
A follow-up forum in Accra convened delegates from Ghana, the United States, Liberia, Nigeria, Jamaica and the United Kingdom. Hosting the meeting, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) President, Stéphane Abass Miezan, said the initiative reinforces Ghana’s role in intercontinental trade.
‘This initiative positions Ghana as a critical bridge in global commerce. By supporting the rollout of the GTA, we are putting in place structures that enable women to participate competitively and confidently in international markets,’ Miezan said.
The U.S.-based National Black Chamber of Commerce also announced new financing tools to help women-owned businesses prepare for cross-border investment.
C1WT founder, Dr. Ky Dele, said the platform marks a decisive transition from advocacy to infrastructure.
‘From Bridgetown to Accra, we are moving from symbolism to structure. C1WT exists to build an architecture where the grassroots connects with the grasstops, and where women-led enterprises finally have a unified global system that allows them to scale beyond borders,’ she said.
A live demonstration in Accra showcased the GTA’s multilingual onboarding, digital KYC tools, workflow dashboards and global marketplace linking women entrepreneurs across 102 countries. Messages of support also came from Senator Ireti Kingibe and former Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, reinforcing the platform’s potential in boosting women-led trade across continents.