AMMAN — The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), in collaboration with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), launched on Thursday the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund to support women-led businesses in digital trade.

 

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Yarub Qudah, highlighted that the fund's inauguration in Jordan is part of the country’s ongoing efforts to enhance women's economic participation.

 

Qudah noted that women’s representation in the industrial and trade sectors have been "steadily growing," thanks to target programmes and initiatives designed to foster their involvement.

 

He stressed that empowering women entrepreneurs is an economic necessity and described the fund as a reflection of an "advanced" level of partnership between Jordan, the WTO, and the ITC, as reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

 

The Minister added that this collaboration aims to promote inclusive trade and strengthen women's roles in the national economy. He explained that the fund serves as a "practical" tool for supporting women-led enterprises, combining financial support with technical assistance to help them overcome challenges, enhance competitiveness, and access international markets.

 

He reiterated the government’s commitment to implementing economic and legislative reforms that support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially those owned by women, in order to drive sustainable growth.

 

The programme, which is managed by the WTO Secretariat and ITC, was launched with the virtual participation of WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

 

Meanwhile, Dana Zoubi, Secretary-General of the Ministry and Acting CEO of JEDCO, emphasised that the programme complements Jordan’s national efforts to advance digital transformation.

 

She pointed to the recently launched "CLIQ" initiative, which is designed to enhance the readiness of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt digital tools and expand their market access.

 

Zoubi explained that selected businesses would receive nearly $2 million in combined financial and technical support, along with "specialised" training in business development, digital trade, financial management and skills development.

 

In her remarks, Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the launch of the fund in Jordan, noting that digital trade is reshaping the global economy and expanding opportunities for women’s participation, which she described as "key" to inclusive growth and job creation.

 

ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton, added that the fund will help women-led businesses tap into digital trade opportunities through financing, capacity building, and skills development, enabling them to access new markets and buyers.

 

As part of the launch, a pitch competition was held, with the "Khayrat Al Sahra" project taking first place and securing a spot at an international trade exhibition.

 

A total of 46 women-led businesses were selected from 469 applications to participate in the year-long programme, which aims to strengthen their involvement in global digital trade. The beneficiaries were divided into two tracks based on their digital and export readiness, with 23 projects in each.

 

The "Explore Track" targets early-stage businesses with grants of $5,000, while the "Boost Track" supports more advanced enterprises with grants of up to $30,000 to help them scale and expand internationally.

 

According to the organisers, participants will receive integrated support, including technical assistance, mentoring, access to international business networks, and financial grants to enhance their readiness for growth and expansion, Petra reported.