EmpoweringLiberian businesswomenTrade at Hand: An example of using microtechnology for microenterprise growth

Meg Jones, Women and Trade Programme Manager, ITCGlobal Summit of Women, Istanbul6 May 2011

Internet / Mobile phone Penetration

Source: International Telecommunications Union

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010*

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

8071.6

30.1

21.1

Internet users per 100 inhabitants, 2000-2010*

Per

100

inha

bita

nts

*EstimatesThe developed/developing country classifications are based on the UN M49, see: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/definitions/regions/index.htmlSource: ITU World Telecommunication /ICT Indicators database

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010*0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

116.1

76.2

67.6

Developed

World

Developing

Per

100

inha

bita

nts

Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2000-2010*

• Bringing product offers directly to the hands of market women • User friendly design with icons and affordable communication cheaper

than SMS• Enabling farmers to advertise products directly from the source

A solution for Liberian market women and farmers

Solution:

• Extending markets so that isolated farmers can reach numerous potential buyers

• Lowering product costs as market women can bypass intermediaries.

• Location specific solution

Connecting small businesses

Outcome:

• Mobile phones can work in new ways to support market womenand farmers, with wider roll out in country

• Potential for long term sales to large buyers, hotels, restaurants

• Providing fresher products and anticipating future sales, reducing losses to farmers

• Reduction in associated purchasing cost expenses

Benefits of a tailored mobile solution

Addressing challenges:

The right solution comes with sustainedsupport and long term effort• Overcoming a difficult post-conflict

environment, low infrastructure support

• Changing behaviours in buying patterns takes time to achieve

• Fostering partnerships with the private sector (i.e. telecom operators)

• Marketing the solution on a national scale

• Addressing local technical specificities

Lessons learned:

• Using the available infrastructure and technologies

• Achieving PPP

• Building capacities of the trade support network

• Generating awareness at policy-maker level

• Fostering local ownership of the solution…

• …and a business setting promoting service sustainability

Building on experience and improvingtrade-related technical assistance

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIAMINISTRY OF COMMERCE

& INDUSTRY

ProgrammePartners:

Meg Jones

Women and Trade Programme Advisor

ITC

Palais des Nations

1211 Geneva

Switzerland

+41 22 730 0166

jones@intracen.org

Further information: www.intracen.org

Raphael Dard

Trade@Hand Advisor

ITC

Palais des Nations

1211 Geneva

Switzerland

+41 22 730 0111

dard@intracen.org