80% of Women and Youth Traders Face Border Delays, Harassment – GWITA

About 80 per cent of women and young people involved in cross-border trade experience difficulties, including delays and alleged harassment at border posts, according to Doris Adoboe, Co-Founder and Director of Programmes at Ghana Women in Trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (GWITA).

She attributed the challenges partly to digital exclusion and the high number of traders operating informal businesses, which limits their ability to benefit fully from opportunities under the AfCFTA.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Ms Adoboe explained that many women and young traders have not formally registered their businesses, making it more difficult for them to complete cross-border transactions smoothly.

She noted that the lack of formal business registration often contributes to delays when traders attempt to move goods between countries.

Ms Adoboe also raised concerns about alleged misconduct by some Customs officials, claiming that certain traders face demands for additional payments despite possessing the required documents.

According to her, discrepancies between the documentation issued to traders and the information available in border officials’ digital systems may contribute to the problem.

She explained that when certificates of origin and other trade documents cannot be verified electronically at border posts, traders may face repeated questioning and unnecessary delays.

Ms Adoboe stressed that inadequate digital integration across borders could worsen the difficulties confronting women and young people engaged in regional trade.

She said addressing these challenges would be important in ensuring that women and youth can participate more effectively in the AfCFTA and benefit from expanded trading opportunities across Africa.

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