By Ndey Sowe
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) is hosting the first stakeholder dialogue on women in cross-border trade, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and taxation. The Society of Women in Taxation West Africa (SWITWA) organized the event with support from the ECOWAS Commission as part of activities marking ECOWAS @50.
The two-day forum, which runs from September 22 to 23, 2025, at a local hotel in Senegambia, is held under the theme: “Addressing Taxation Challenges for Women Cross-Border Trading: Implications for African Continental Free Trade Area.” It seeks to establish a regional platform to examine AfCFTA-related issues, assess ECOWAS’s role in easing business for women, advocate for simplified tax procedures, and increase access to tax information, tariffs, and improved security for women traders.
Ms. Esi Duma Sam, Regional Chairperson of SWITWA, said the meeting gathers policymakers, development partners, civil society actors, business leaders, and experts from across the region. She stressed that women in informal cross-border trade sustain local economies but continue to face heavy burdens and administrative barriers.
“According to the 2023 UN Women’s Study, these traders suffer invisibility, stigmatization, violence, harassment, poor working conditions, and lack of recognition of their economic quotas,” Ms. Sam noted. “As the AfCFTA opens unprecedented opportunities for intra-African trade, it is imperative that these women are not left behind.”
She explained that the dialogue provides a platform to identify taxation challenges, propose gender-responsive solutions, and influence policies that boost women’s competitiveness in the AfCFTA. “We are deeply grateful to our partners, resource persons, and participants for their invaluable contributions,” she added. “I encourage you to engage fully, share experiences, and network so that insights here translate into meaningful action for women across our region.”
Welcoming the gathering, GRA Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe expressed pride in hosting SWITWA after its formal inauguration in The Gambia in February 2023. “Women are the bedrock of our regional economy,” he said. “If you look at the informal sector, 80 to 90 percent are women. In cross-border trade, 70 percent are women. They must be helped and respected at all times.”
Darboe cited ECOWAS data showing women constitute over 70 percent of informal cross-border traders, playing key roles in food security and local economies. “In Burkina Faso and Mali, women make up over 75 percent and 65 percent of the agricultural workforce, respectively. In The Gambia, a 2022 survey by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics showed 84.7 percent of women are employed in the informal sector. Cross-border trade in ECOWAS amounts to between $2.5 million and $6.5 billion annually, much of it driven by women. Yet despite being the drivers, they face significant challenges,” he said.
Mr. Samuel Agbeluyi, President of the West Africa Union of Tax Institutes (WAUTI), and Mr. Ibrahim Tambajang of the ECOWAS Commission both praised SWITWA for convening the dialogue, describing it as timely and vital “as we stand at a pivotal moment in our region’s economic journey.”
Guest speaker and First Lady of The Gambia, Fatoumata Bah Barrow, highlighted women’s role as major drivers of small and medium-sized enterprises in the subregion. She urged for greater access to AfCFTA information and a more supportive environment for women in cross-border trade.
SWIT, launched in Nigeria on May 7, 2010, under the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, serves as an umbrella body for female members. It seeks to amplify women’s voices in tax policy and promote their socio-economic development.
