The UN Economic Commission for Africa’s Subregional Office for North Africa launched today, in partnership with the Mauritanian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, a capacity-building workshop for women leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The workshop is taking place in Nouakchott on 17-19 September 2024 with a focus on best practices in exporting, digitalisation, and eco-friendly approaches.

"Supporting women-led SMEs is a key driver of inclusive and sustainable growth in North Africa. Focusing on digitalisation, improving market access and adopting green practices can help these businesses become more competitive. It can also promote a resilient economic transformation that addresses the challenges posed by climate change," said Adam Elhiraika, Director of the ECA’s North Africa Office.

This project is aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). It also supports the ECA North Africa Office’s goal of enhancing the growth and competitiveness of SMEs as well as employment in the region.

This workshop is taking place within the framework of the Office’s broader programme to support women-led SMEs in North Africa which has allowed for similar training workshops to take place in Morocco for the benefit of about 350 women entrepreneurs. In addition to Mauritanian women-led SMEs, the project will soon be extended to their Libyan counterparts.