C1WT Unveils Platform to Connect 1M Women Traders

Kayode Tokede

The Connecting One Million Women to Trade (C1WT) initiative has unveiled the world’s first

digital 8-Pillar Global Trade Accelerator (GTA) with an ambitious goal to connect one million women to trade across 102 countries.

C1WT is anchored in a turnkey programmatic solution, the 8-Pillar GTA, a step-by-step digital ecosystem that supports one million women-led businesses and women entrepreneurs within 10,000+ associations to international trade readiness.

The unveiling followed its historic debut at the GUBA Trade & Investment Conference in Barbados held in early November 2025 under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Amor Mottley.

The high-level launch garnered support from dignitaries including the President of Barbados, Dame Sandra Mason, and Prime Minister of Grenada, Hon. Dickon Mitchell.

Former Vice President of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell Barr, praised the platform as “a collaborative framework to accelerate women-led trade across the Atlantic corridors.”

Following the Barbados debut, a multi-continental delegation convened in Accra, Ghana, recently to accelerate the rollout. The hybrid session, hosted by the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GNCCI), united leaders from Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, and the global diaspora.

GNCCI President, Stéphane Miezan opened the meeting by reaffirming Ghana’s pivotal role.

“This initiative positions Ghana as a critical bridge in global commerce. By supporting the rollout of the GTA, we are putting in place structures that enable women to participate competitively and confidently in international markets,” Miezan said.

Institutional partners announced concrete support at the Accra forum.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) unveiled new tools to facilitate access to capital and investor networks for women using the GTA.

“This collaboration opens unprecedented financial pathways for African and diaspora women entrepreneurs, connecting them to investors, training, and business systems that have long been out of reach,” said NBCC President Charles DeBow.

Representing the C1WT Governing Council, founder Dr. Ky Dele drew a direct connection between the Barbados launch and the Ghana summit. “From Bridgetown to Accra, we are moving from symbolism to structure,” Dr. Dele said. “C1WT exists to build an architecture where the grassroots connects with the grass stops, and where women-led enterprises finally have a unified global system that allows them to scale beyond borders.” This shift from high-level commitment to on-the-ground implementation was a recurring theme as leaders discussed shifting from talkshops into actionable follow up and results.

A major highlight of the multi-country meetings was a live technical demonstration of the GTA platform. It showcased features such as multilingual onboarding for associations, digital KYC verification, partner dashboards, training modules, streamlined trade workflow tools, and an integrated global marketplace — all built to support one million women in trade.

The GTA is engineered to eliminate fragmentation by uniting institutions within one trusted digital environment, thereby creating a seamless global ecosystem for women traders.

With the GTA now launched, the rollout enters a critical phase. With its multi-pillar structure, strong governance framework, and cross-continental coalition, the GTA is being hailed as one of the most ambitious efforts ever undertaken to transform women-led trade and drive inclusive economic integration across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, and the global diaspora.