Trade Finance Global (TFG) Encourages Women to Speak Out, and Men to Stand Up to #EmbraceEquity

TFG are proud to announce that this year’s Women In Trade, Treasury & Payments (WITTP) Campaign is the biggest yet, showcasing over 100 women across the industry in recognition of International Women’s Day theme – promoting gender equity across the globe by celebrating the careers, experiences, and achievements of women in international trade, treasury, and payments.

The WITTP campaign consists of both an exclusive in-person event, and an online campaign to launch over 100 Women in Trade.

The presence of high-profile figures such as Angela Ellard, Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization, Lynette Thorstensen, Chair of the Board at Fairtrade International, and Reta Jo Lewis, President and Chair of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), and other special guests and sponsors further underscores the importance of this event.

The event provided a platform for women to come together and discuss the key challenges they face when obtaining senior positions and how they can work towards empowering one another during their careers.

The exclusive roundtable discussions and dinner were held at the prestigious Lansdowne Club in Mayfair, London. It was a monumental moment for the industry, as it brought together an all-female guest list of key figures to discuss the pressing issue of gender equity in international trade, treasury, and payments.

Lynette Thorstensen, Board Member at Fairtrade International, said “Another way to think about inequity versus inequality is that most inequities are avoidable. The Least Developed Countries should not be expected to maintain unequal status forever. It is, of course, impossible to achieve total equality across the globe but dealing with inequities removes avoidable barriers.”

DDG Angela Ellard of The World Trade Organisation said, “The global economy is not gender-neutral. It is estimated that women represent 39% of the global workforce, and their earnings are on average between 10% and 30% lower than those of men. In addition, women spend two to ten times more time on unpaid household work, and this burden increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the pandemic has had a disproportionately adverse effect on women’s labour market outcomes.”

The distinguished panel of speakers and special guests from across the industry came together, to discuss how to #EmbraceEquity on a day to day basis in the workplace.

In the afternoon, four roundtables focused on key topics such as the challenges women face when obtaining senior positions, investing in women-owned enterprises, the role of men as internal stakeholders, and initiatives that work to empower women during their careers.

The roundtable guests included:

• DDG Angela Ellard: World Trade Organization (WTO)
• Catherine Lang-Anderson: Allen & Overy
• Gwen Mwaba: Afreximbank
• Helen Jones: Visa
• Kimberley Botwright: World Economic Forum (WEF)
• Lorna Pillow: London Forfaiting Company/International Trade and Forfaiting Association (LFC/ITFA)
• Lynette Thorstensen: Fairtrade International
• Mencia Bobo: Santander Corporate & Investment Banking
• Natalia Clements: Swiss Re Corporate Solutions
• Nathalie Louat: International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• Neha Noronha: Asian Development Bank
• Raelene Martin: International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
• President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis: US EXIM

Insights from these roundtable discussions will be carefully curated and shared in content following the event to help amplify the reach of female voices. By sharing these insights, we hope to spark further conversations and encourage more individuals and organisations to take action towards promoting gender equity in the industry.

The WITTP legacy

The Women in Trade, Treasury & Payments Campaign 2023 is more than just a single event, it is about the legacy it aims to create. TFG believes that by working together, we can enable global change where gender equity is the norm and women are empowered to achieve their full potential in the industry. It’s time for us all to Embrace Equity, for women to speak up, and for men to stand up as allies in support of gender equity.

For more information on the campaign, please visit: https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/women-in-trade/wit2023