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Women, Show Up, Build the Table

ILaED.ORG
Oct 8
3 min read

Credit: Susan Isiko Strba


Three spaces. One week. Three powerful reminders for women.

Between 14 and 17 September 2026, I found myself in three different spaces: the first World Trade & Tech Day, the WTO Public Forum 2026, and Curated Conversations on trade policy and the technology economy.

Although the conversations were broad, I kept coming back to one question:

What do these spaces mean for women, particularly women in Africa and other developing economies?

For me, the answer came through three lessons.


1. Technology creates opportunities, but stay vigilant.


At the first World Trade & Tech Day, held on 14 September 2026, we explored the intersection of trade, technology and women.

Technology can open markets, connect women to customers, reduce barriers and create entirely new opportunities for businesses.

But technology is not a substitute for knowledge, judgement and vigilance.

Ladies, keep learning. Keep asking questions. Understand the tools you are using and the markets you are entering. And stay vigilant.


2. Show up where decisions are being discussed.


The WTO Public Forum 2026, held from 15–17 September, brought together diverse perspectives on the future of trade and the global economy.

One message stood out for me:

Women need to be present in the spaces where their futures, businesses and livelihoods are being discussed.

This does not mean that every woman needs to be in Geneva or inside the WTO.

There are many spaces where our voices matter; national consultations, business associations, chambers of commerce, cooperatives, community organisations, universities, civil society, digital platforms and our own businesses.


And when there is no space at the table?

Create one. And make sure there is room for another woman to join you.

That lesson became very personal for me.


When Amb. Collins Ezeiruaku of the International Trade Facilitation Association (ITFA) asked me to co-organize a Curated Conversation at the WTO Public Forum on “Trade Deficit: Realigning Trade Policy with the Technology Economy,” my immediate reaction was: I don't think I have the capacity for this.

I hoped he was simply suggesting the idea and would eventually realise that he had chosen the wrong person!


But he was smart. He did not give me much opportunity to say “no.”

And the rest is history.


We created the space. People came. We listened. We exchanged ideas. And we had a meaningful conversation about trade, technology and the trust deficit in the digital economy.


Which brings me to the third lesson.


3. Confidence does not always come before action.


Sometimes, confidence is built through action.

This is something I believe is particularly important for women.

We can spend so much time waiting until we feel ready, until we have enough experience, enough resources, enough knowledge or enough confidence.

But sometimes, the invitation comes before the confidence.


You step forward.


You try.


You learn.


You discover that you can do more than you thought.

And your confidence grows along the way.


This is why the work of ILaED.org matters.

At the International Lawyers and Economists for Development (ILaED.org), we believe that economic empowerment is not simply about giving women opportunities.

It is about equipping women to recognise opportunities, access markets, understand the rules, use technology, protect what they create, participate in economic decision-making and shape the policies that affect their livelihoods.

This matters enormously for women working in crafts, agriculture, manufacturing, services, technology, creative industries and cross-border trade.

A woman making beautiful crafts in her community is not “just” making crafts.

She is creating value.


A woman selling across borders is not “just” trading.


She is participating in the regional and global economy.


A woman using digital tools to find new customers is not “just” using technology.


She is adapting to a changing marketplace.


We need to see these women not merely as beneficiaries of development, but as economic actors, innovators and contributors to the future of our economies.


So, ladies, wherever you are:

Keep working on your craft.Keep building your business.Keep learning about technology.Keep showing up.Keep asking for a seat at the table.

And if the table does not exist?

Build one.

You may be surprised by what you already have to bring to the market.

And perhaps even more surprised by what happens when you have the confidence to share it.


ILaED.org believes in creating spaces where women can learn, participate, connect and lead.

Because women should not only be part of the conversation about the future of our economies.


Women should help shape that future.





 
 
 

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