NAIROBI, Kenya, March 23 – Trademark Africa (TMA) in partnership with Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) through the support of Global Affairs Canada, has launched an integrated information platform, iSOKO designed to support women in trade across East Africa.
iSOKO will help women access and use vital and simplified information, which will in turn unlock opportunities for participation, formalization of businesses and growth in trade value.
The web and mobile platform will also provide a regional marketplace to buy and sell goods, access vital trade and market information, business management tools including bookkeeping, access to verified service providers and networking opportunities with fellow traders.
“Having women at the center is how we do development, foreign policy and trade. It is effective, and helps us to meet our development objectives,” said Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya Christopher Thornley.
He added that iSOKO will go a long way in addressing the key market and information gaps that exist for women traders in cross-border trade.
Thornley stated that the platform, which was unveiled in Nairobi, will serve to bring together women traders from five countries in the East African Community – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Also speaking at the event, KNCCI President Richard Ngatia, noted that the platform is already attracting great use by traders in the country.
“Through our County chamber and Women in Business arm, we have 2,650 users on board the platform with information on over 100 commodities uploaded, we expect the numbers to grow significantly after this launch” said Ngatia.
He further stated that women traders appreciated the news segment on the platform keeping them up to date and that the platform’s business management tools helped users improve their business practices and manage their finances more effectively.
At the same time, Bruno Linyiru, the Secretary for Trade in the State Department for Trade said the iSOKO portal will have a significant impact on the lives of women traders by increasing their income, improving their bargaining power and promoting their economic independence.
“It is part of our broader efforts to promote gender equality and support women’s empowerment in all areas of our society,” said Linyiru.
The portal provides free access to women traders who wish to register and is expected to go a long way in increasing the trade value and incomes of women traders across the region, especially those engaged in informal trade.
The launch is the first in the region and will be followed in the coming weeks with launches in the other four East African countries targeted in the program.
