May 16 , 2025
The 6th COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) Trade Fair and Business Conference kicked off in Addis Ababa on Wednesday (May 7), with more than 200 women entrepreneurs from across the 21 member nations of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The event, which ran until Friday (May 9), was held under the theme “A Thriving COMESA Advancing Gender-Responsive Regional Integration to Unlock Green Investments, Value Chains, Tourism, and Mining within the AfCFTA.”
The opening ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Tagesse Chafo, Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives; Kassahun Gofe, Minister of Trade and Regional Integration; and Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Key officials from COMESA were also present, marking this as a significant moment for the continent’s economic development.
In his remarks, Speaker Tagesse Chafo emphasized that empowering women through trade is not just a moral imperative but vital for the continent’s economic prosperity. “This event reflects our collective commitment to building inclusive markets where women and youth thrive,” he stated.
COMESA’s Secretary-General, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, highlighted the fair’s role in strengthening regional ties and empowering women. “We cannot achieve true regional integration without the active participation of women,” she said. “This fair is a testament to our shared commitment to leave no one behind.”
Throughout the event, attendees from diverse sectors explored business opportunities, shared best practices, and discussed the barriers women entrepreneurs often face, such as limited access to finance and markets. The fair also provided a platform for examining the role of digital tools in scaling businesses and fostering innovation.
The event underscored the critical need for gender-responsive policies in trade and investment. Participants called for COMESA member states to dismantle the barriers preventing women from accessing the necessary resources to thrive in today’s competitive global market.
As both a founding member of COMESA and a signatory of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ethiopia has positioned itself at the forefront of regional integration. The country’s recent economic reforms, including the liberalization of telecommunications and banking sectors, are seen as essential for empowering women entrepreneurs to compete both regionally and globally.