Policymakers typically overlook women’s contributions to trade and the challenges they face. This neglect reflects, in part, the lack of data and information on women and trade in Africa. It also reflects the under-representation of small traders and rural producers in trade and trade policy discussions.
The latest volume from the World Bank's Africa Trade Practice—Women and Trade in Africa: Realizing the Potential—brings together a series of chapters that look at the ways that women participate in trade in Africa, the constraints they face, and the impact of those constraints. The aim of the book is to raise the profile of this public policy issue and to encourage more research and analysis that will expand the body of knowledge on gender-related constraints to trade.