The project, which is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) and national implementing partners, aims to support 200 Central American women-led businesses from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama to export their handicrafts through e-commerce channels.

Alongside work to improve product quality and design, the women-led businesses are trained and prepared to list on international online marketplaces such as Etsy and eBay, develop and optimize their own websites, use different digital marketing channels to generate traffic and sales, receive online payments, prepare orders for shipment and provide quality customer service. The project applies the train-the-trainers methodology: a network of trainers from local trade promotion organisations are trained by ITC to support the businesses on their e-commerce journey. In addition to the training of trainers, ITC has piloted the e-lab model to provide specific support to the most advanced businesses in the project. The e-labs follow the lean-start up methodology that combines testing, measuring and learning. By testing different online channels and digital marketing techniques, and measuring the performance, the more advanced businesses can develop their e-commerce strategy and share lessons learned with beginners.

https://www.intracen.org/Central-America-Women-and-e-commerce/

• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama

• Women
• Remote and rural communities

Due to its good results, our project methodology is already being replicated in other ITC e-commerce projects in Central Asia and the Middle East.

To scale the e-lab methodology and leverage the knowledge and experience of the advanced businesses that received one-on-one e-commerce coaching, ITC has launched an e-commerce leadership programme. The businesses that participated in the e-labs are now taking on a mentoring role to share their learning and experience with less advanced businesses in the project. 38 businesses are currently enrolled in the ITC e-commerce leadership programme, which strengthens the regional component of the project by matching mentors and mentees from different Central American countries.

SDG contribution: gender equality (5) and decent work and economic growth (8) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation (9), Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

By working with local trade support institutions, ITC ensures that the knowledge is kept in the country after the end of the project. Two local partner institutions have already started using the project methodology to support small businesses from other sectors in their countries.

The leadership programme is another initiative, which reinforces the sustainability of the project. Anna Sophia, the founder of Achiote, which is one of the businesses participating as a mentor in the programme says about the initiative: “I am very excited to be able to pass on experience and knowledge to a motivated colleague. It would be great to replicate this programme at a wider scale, including more mentees. I really like to see how my student responds to the advice I give her. I would very much like it to continue over time; I don’t want it to end when the project ends for various reasons: I learn more when I am teaching myself and other entrepreneurs learn from the mistakes I have done. I also find it very enriching having students in other countries of the region. Sometimes I feel that communication stays local. If we only talk to Guatemalan companies, we are always in the same tray. It is important to get out of the bubble and connect with other entrepreneurs, like my mentee in El Salvador.”

An inclusive trade environment to achieve a successful sustainable development agenda requires strong partnerships. ITC is connecting global e-commerce actors with regional and national institutions to facilitate cross-border trade regionally and internationally. ITC works on promoting exchanges of good practices and know-how between peer institutions operating in the three technical areas covered by the project.