A coalition of global business groups has launched a new digital platform aimed at connecting one million women-led enterprises to international markets.
The initiative, known as the Global Trade Accelerator (GTA), was introduced under the Connecting One Million Women to Trade (C1WT) programme at the GUBA Trade and Investment Conference in Barbados and Accra, Ghana later in the year.
The initiative was first launched in Barbados under the patronage of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.
It attracted high-level figures including: Dame Sandra Mason, President of Barbados; Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada; Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehen and senior representatives from Mastercard and the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Epsy Campbell Barr, former Costa Rican vice president, described the platform as a practical framework for accelerating women-led participation in global trade.
He said the GTA platform is “a collaborative framework to accelerate women-led trade across the Atlantic corridors.”
”This high-level endorsement underscored the
platform’s potential to bridge markets in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas, reflecting C1WT’s mission to connect women traders across continents.”
A follow-up multi-country forum was held in Accra and it brought together delegates from Ghana, the United States, Liberia, Nigeria, Jamaica and the United Kingdom.
Stéphane Abass Miezan, president of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GNCCI), opened the meeting by reaffirming Ghana’s
central role in strengthening Africa–Caribbean 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 noted that the initiative strengthens Ghana’s position as a bridge between Africa and the Caribbean.
The U.S.-based National Black Chamber of Commerce also announced new financing tools to help women businesses prepare for investment.
Ky Dele, C1WT founder, said the project marks a shift from symbolism to structure, with the new platform offering women entrepreneurs a reliable route to scale their businesses globally.
“From Bridgetown to Accra, we are moving from symbolism to structure,” Dele said.
“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.”
The GTA is designed as a unified system that brings together business associations, service providers and trade institutions to support women entrepreneurs.
Organisers say the platform could unlock up to $900 billion in new trade opportunities across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and diaspora markets.
It provides a digital structure for onboarding, market access, policy support, finance facilitation and global marketplace integration.
A live demonstration showcased features such as multilingual onboarding, digital KYC, workflow dashboards and a global marketplace designed to connect women entrepreneurs across 102 countries.
