Addis Ababa: Ethiopia remains a central driver of integration across the continent as the nation has consistently advocated Africa’s economic integration and regional collaboration, Speaker of House of Peoples’ Representative (HPR) Tagesse Chafo said. Opening the 6th COMESA Federation for Women in Business Trade Fair and Business Conference today, the Speaker highlighted Ethiopia’s role in hosting the event, positioning the nation as a hub for women’s entrepreneurship and regional collaboration.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the Speaker expressed pride in Ethiopia hosting the COMESA week and the trade fair, emphasizing its role in empowering women, fostering inclusive economic growth, and advancing sustainable development across the COMESA family. The trade fair provides a platform for women entrepreneurs to showcase innovation, establish strategic alliances, and access wider regional markets. In doing so, it promises to drive transformative growth in key sectors, fueling the region’s economic progress.
As a founding member of COMESA and an early signatory to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ethiopia has consistently supported Africa’s economic integration. The Speaker affirmed the nation’s commitment through comprehensive economic reforms aimed at modernizing the economy and fostering private sector growth. These reforms include transitioning from managed exchange rates to a market-driven system, opening strategic sectors such as telecom and banking to competition, and modernizing trade and customs systems.
The Speaker emphasized that these reforms are creating unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs, especially women and youth, enabling them to innovate, expand, and integrate into regional and global markets. He urged COMESA member states to prioritize gender-responsive trade policies at both national and regional levels.
Minister of Trade and Regional Integration Kassahun Gofe, addressing the occasion, affirmed Ethiopia’s belief in integration as a path to shared prosperity. The government is investing in women-led enterprises, promoting inclusive value chains, and embedding gender equity into national trade policy.
The event, organized in collaboration with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration of Ethiopia, marks a significant milestone in empowering women in business across COMESA member states.