At least50 decision makers in the public and private sectors from different countries gather in Kigali today for the launch of the Fifth Senior Executive Roundtable on Sourcing from Women Vendors.

The meeting, organised by the International Trade Centre (ITC), is expected to discuss mechanisms through which procurement can be leveraged for the benefit of women through knowledge and information sharing.

The meeting is organised on the sidelines of the International Export Development Forum that Rwanda is hosting as the first African country.

In a statement, the ITC’s Women and Trade programme manager, Vanessa Erogbogbo, said, "This event is a unique global platform to advance the discourse and generate innovative ways of ensuring that government and private sector commitments to integrating women into procurement are realised.”

The roundtable will also focus on the implementation and replication of good practices which will enhance trade opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

Following the roundtable that will be graced by Ethiopian First Lady Roman Tesfaye Abneh, Rwandan Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzigwa, and the Executive Director of ITC, Arancha González, delegates will be equipped to capitalise on opportunities.

The event is also expected to incorporate business to businesses engagements between vendors and purchasers.

According to Erogbogbo, the roundtable is one of ITC’s flagship programmes, because women empowerment is a priority for their institution.

The programme was launched four years ago in China during a World Export Development Forum that brought together multinationals, trade support institutions, governments and women’s associations to explore how women participate in trade.

The initiative is in the second phase of a six-year plan, with committed funding of $15 million.