From left: Wayne Elliott, Manager Technical Programmes, Caribbean Export; Abebech Assefa, Counsellor (Development) and Head of Cooperation at the Canadian High Commission to Barbados; Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, St. Lucia; Dr. Damie Sinanan, Executive Director of Caribbean Export and Natasha Edwin-Walcott, Lead – Export Development and Promotion, Caribbean Export.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia--The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in partnership with the government of Canada, is proud to announce the launch of GRIT – Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs Generating Resilient and Inclusive Trade, a transformative initiative designed to strengthen the capacity of women-led businesses across the Caribbean to access regional and international markets, according to a press release from Caribbean Export. The project aims to foster more inclusive economic growth by addressing persistent gender gaps in trade. GRIT will work with women-led businesses and trade support institutions to build capacity, improve access to resources, and enhance visibility in key export markets.
GRIT represents the first-ever partnership between the government of Canada and Caribbean Export, and will focus on enhancing export-readiness, boosting access to trade information and networks, and promoting gender-responsive trade policies, the release states. The project will also include regional business-to-business B2B matchmaking, digital promotion support and capacity-building of trade support institutions to better serve women entrepreneurs.
With CAD $3.16 million in funding from the government of Canada, GRIT is a four-year initiative that provides targeted support to women-owned businesses with a particular focus on increasing exports to the Canadian market, according to the release. The project seeks to address key barriers to trade, provide technical assistance and tools and foster a gender-inclusive trade environment. GRIT will be implemented across the following Caribbean countries: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The official launch event held on Tuesday in St. Lucia will be followed by a full-day export readiness workshop tailored for local women entrepreneurs and is hosted with the support of Export Saint Lucia and DHL.
“GRIT is providing targeted technical support, grants and market intelligence to help these businesses transition to digital platforms, adopt green production methods and meet international standards,” said Dr. Damie Sinanan, Executive Director of Caribbean Export. “…initiatives like GRIT are not only about empowering women, they are about shaping the future of Caribbean trade – a future where our businesses, particularly [micro, small, and medium enterprises – Ed.] MSMEs, are positioned to navigate global complexities and seize opportunities in diversified markets.”
Speaking at the launch event, Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, emphasised the national impact of women’s economic empowerment.
“When St. Lucian women thrive in business, our entire country benefits. This is not theory. This is a fact,” said Minister Hippolyte. “Through GRIT, we are strengthening our trade capacity, expanding our networks and positioning St. Lucian women to take full advantage of regional and international markets.”
“GRIT is about building bridges – between local innovation and global markets, between ambition and opportunity, and most importantly, between women-led businesses and the tools they need to thrive,” said Abebech Assefa, Counsellor (Development) and Head of Cooperation at the Canadian High Commission to Barbados. “The name ‘GRIT’ speaks to the courage, perseverance and passion that women entrepreneurs bring to their work every day.”
GRIT is part of Canada’s broader commitment to advancing inclusive economic growth and women’s empowerment across the region. Assefa noted that Canada remains steadfast in its efforts to support economic cooperation for shared prosperity by helping more women entrepreneurs contribute to their own success and that of their communities, the release concludes.
