This three-day conference, from the 7th to the 10th of May, took place in the city of Tangier, Morocco, and officially commenced on the 8th of May.

The conference aimed to discuss how the African market is evolving for entrepreneurs, particularly women engaged in cross-border trade in innovative ways.

Mrs AGATESI Marie Laetitia MUGABO, who represented Rwandan women entrepreneurs presented their achievements.

She said: "We discussed various topics including knowledge sharing, understanding how the overall African market operates. Therefore, as Rwandan women entrepreneurs attending this conference, we learned how to effectively penetrate the wider African market and negotiate with many other countries, which will enable us to identify opportunities and also things we need to improve on."

Mrs Shakira UMUTONI; The ambassador of Rwanda to Morocco, explained to the participants that Rwanda is a country that has given women opportunities to show their potential; both in business and in politics.

She said "As the pillars of society playing key role in innovation, women make a significant contribution to Africa's economic growth through their innovative and irreplaceable expertise."

"Rwanda is at the forefront of providing opportunities for women in politics and business, where women hold 60% of seats in parliament and also hold decision-making positions, leading various institutions. “She added.

In her remarks Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, thanked the women experts for their participation in the conference and emphasized that the platform serves to highlight the achievements of women.

She said: "I would like to express my gratitude to the Femme d'Expertise for organizing this conference for the third time, and it is progressing well. To those of you attending, I want to assure you of our commitment to the continued success of this platform, which not only provides support but will continue to support African women and those in the diaspora. The platform demonstrates that there are no limits to what African women can achieve."

Mrs Minani Niyonzima Géorgette, the Executive Director of Femme d'Expertise, encouraged women entrepreneurs to participate in conferences like these because they offer many benefits, including opportunities to expand their businesses.

She said: "As you can see, the theme of the conference is 'Intercontinental African Trade Zone,' which means that what they sell can be well received in countries from which they come. What we emphasize is that these are women who have a lot of knowledge. I urge our businesswomen to attend these conferences so that they can share their knowledge with other women in various fields."

This conference was attended by women entrepreneurs from countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon, Morocco, Guadeloupe, France, among others.

Africa is depicted as a continent with significant female participation in finance and business, as they represent between 26 and 30% of business ownership. They contribute significantly to advancing Africa's economy by injecting between $250 billion and $300 billion of America's annual revenue.

Author: Umurerwa Vestine, Written by Donatha Uwajeneza/ translated by GAKUBA Felix