Source: East African Business Week
Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) has devised means at protecting cross border women traders in a bid to boost intra-trade that accounts for a bigger percentage of the trade receipts to member states.

In partnership with East Africa initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) TMEA is investing about $250,000 to increase access to information, incubate WICBT associations and to lobby institutions for a better trading environment for a key cog in the region's commercial wheel.

"They are women, and therefore vulnerable to sexual exploitation, bullying and physical violence. This would never happen to men.

Our women traders are vital cogs in the EA commercial wheel, and that's why we are helping them," Lisa Karanja, Director of TMEA's Private Sector/Civil Society Organisation initiative.

• Rwanda