ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the intervention as a tool for the development of gender-responsive support services and strengthening of the overall trade ecosystem. The private sector tends to translate into institutional support for high-growth industries and firms, posing challenges for entrepreneurship ecosystems with a paucity of high-growth firms as well as for women entrepreneurs who are generally under-represented in high-growth industries. Trade support services are often dispersed across government agencies whose role may vary from trade to regional development, small business assistance and the empowerment of women. A gender-responsive trade practices framework was developed by public and private sector delegates from ten developing economies during the workshop component of the intervention. International trade is the foundation of global knowledge economy in which small and medium size enterprises are considered the critical engines of growth and innovation for economies. Globalization is changing the nature of trade facilitation and the support required by business.
