Creating a community for women in trade
Wednesday 16 July 2025
Creating a community for women in trade
Representatives from the world of trade gathered for the inaugural launch of a new organisation which aims to support women in trade and address the export gap.
The Women in Trade Hub UK (WiTH UK), created by WMG, University of Warwick with the support of the Chartered Institute of Export & International TradeLink opens in a new window, aims to create a community, bringing together existing resources while being responsive to the needs of female entrepreneurs.
Barriers to break
Noting that women face “systemic barriers” in business and trade, Dr Rebecca Wilde, Head of Business Innovation, Supply Chain and Trade at WMG, University of Warwick, said that WiTH UK will serve as a community that can “empower women, and empower men who support women, in trade management and operational roles.”
Highlighting the many “great organisations out there globally that support women in trade,” Dr Wilde said there’s a lot of work to be done to boost the proportion of women-led trading SMEs and women in senior positions at larger trading organisations.
Export gap
The Chartered Institute’s Director General, Marco Forgione, echoed the call to support more women export their goods.
Highlighting the severity of the export gap, Forgione reiterated Wilde’s point and noted that in 2025 in the UK, “in one of the largest economies in the world, one of the most attractive places in the world for inwards investment,” only 15% of MSMEs are led by women and only a small proportion of those are estimated to export - with one estimate as low as 7%.
He welcomed the initiative as an opportunity to “come together” and “tackle the systemic challenges” facing women in trade.
WiTH goals
Dr Wilde emphasised the value of having an active supportive community, where women can seek support and troubleshoot their issues, but also somewhere they can celebrate their successes.
Education, skills and outreach will also feature on the agenda for the hub.
Dr Wilde explained: “I am proud to be spearheading a growing movement to reshape the future of international trade—one that is more inclusive, representative, and driven by the full range of talent across the UK.
“It has been my absolute pleasure to lead on this initiative and for our first inaugural event, start the conversation, calling for action to dismantle these barriers through education, stronger networks, and smarter access to resources. When we create space for women to lead confidently in trade, we unlock new potential for the economy—and for society as a whole."
One of the most important aspects of WiTH is that it will be stakeholder-led, Dr Wilde added: “Stakeholders are advising and guiding us, as to what information they need, what visibility they need, how we advocate with them and for them.
“I hope the hub will be that conduit, bringing in all the amazing organisations that exist out there to give good direction and guidance.”
Ahead of the WiTH UK’s strategic launch in the autumn, Dr Wilde is inviting women to share their views on what support and resource they would like, via this linkLink opens in a new window.