In Togo, women play an essential role in agricultural production. However, their involvement in processing, trading and entrepreneurial activities remains marginalised. This under-representation is the result of several obstacles, including social and cultural norms and structural barriers to access to finance and economic opportunities.
With a view to strengthening the economic empowerment of women, the FSRP Togo supported from 12 to 15 March 2025, through the Coordination Togolaise des Organisations Paysannes (CTOP) and other women from sister organisations such as the Fédération des Promotrices d'Agro-industrie du Togo (FEPROMAT) and the Réseau National des Femmes Agricultrices du Togo (RENAFAT), the organisation of the 2nd edition of the fair to promote local products and trade opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The aim of this event is to support women by promoting local products and developing new business opportunities linked to the AfCFTA.
The opening ceremony was marked by three speeches, including that of the President of CTOP, who thanked the Head of State and all the partner organisations of CTOP, the FSRP, which had supported the organisation of the fair. He invited and encouraged the population to buy and consume the products on display, the quality of which is no longer in doubt: "Yesterday there were doubts about the quality. But today, with the support and assistance of various projects, the women at are putting good quality products on the market, as you can see. I invite you to try them! They are 100% produced by Togolese women". He said.
The representative of the PRSF Deputy Coordinator and the representative of the Minister of Agriculture, Village Hydraulics and Rural Development welcomed the massive attendance of women at this training course. They invited and encouraged the women to seize the opportunity to find out more about market access opportunities under the FTAA and to obtain the necessary documentation to prepare to export their products to countries in the sub-region.
Mrs Edou Adjovi Dodji made no secret of her delight at receiving the training: "Before, we used to cross borders without any papers; without an identity card, a CFE card or an economic operator's card, unaware of our rights and duties. Thanks to this training, we've learned a lot. How to formalise our businesses, our cooperatives or processing units so that we can cross the border easily with our products, processed locally in Togo. We also learned about all the documents we need to formalise, and the files we need to provide to customs to be able to cross borders easily. After this training, we plan to set up a WhatsApp group through which we can relay the training, keep up to date with the latest news from the Ministry of Trade, and ask for ongoing support from the expert so that we can export more easily to the FTAA zones".
It should be noted that the training benefited 120 women processors and producers of agricultural products, who exhibited their products at the fair organised to mark International Women's Rights Day, celebrated every 8 March.
