- Busia and EASSI strengthen efforts to support women in cross border trade.
- New partnership targets harassment and exploitation in the fish trade.
- Women traders are set to benefit from safer and more inclusive markets.
The Busia County Government, through the Department of Strategic Partnerships, has formalised a 16-year relationship with the Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at making trade work for women.
Deal targets fish trade exploitation
The partnership falls under the Promoting Decent Work for Women and Youths programme, dubbed “Building Inclusive and Safe Fisheries Economies for Young Women Markets.” It will focus on protecting young women in the fish trade from exploitation and harassment, while boosting trade volumes across the East African region.
Busia sits along Kenya’s border with Uganda and is a key node for cross-border fish trade drawn from Lake Victoria, making informal traders, many of them women, especially exposed to harassment, extortion and licensing barriers at border points.
County officials back formalised trade partnership
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Public Service Management, Pamela Awori, lauded the move, saying formalising such collaborations gives traders a real chance to thrive across the region.
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The MOU brought together the Departments of Strategic Partnerships, Agriculture, and Trade, with county officials affirming their commitment to enabling traders to operate without hindrance.
EASSI cites Mastercard Foundation, TradeMark Africa support
Deputy Executive Director of EASSI, Joseline Komuhangi, thanked the Busia County Government, Mastercard Foundation and TradeMark Africa for their support in key operational areas.
She noted that the formalisation sets a framework for women’s economic development recognised by both national and county governments, as they work closely with women and young women in Busia’s border trading communities.
By Benedict Aoya
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