A coalition of international business organisations has launched the Global Trade Accelerator (GTA), a new digital platform aimed at connecting one million women-led enterprises to global markets.

The initiative, created under the Connecting One Million Women to Trade (C1WT) programme, is billed as one of the most ambitious global efforts to scale women’s participation in cross-border trade.

Organisers estimate that the platform could unlock up to $900 billion in new trade opportunities across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and diaspora markets. The GTA provides integrated tools for onboarding, market access, policy support, financing, and global marketplace linkages.

The platform debuted at the GUBA Trade and Investment Conference in Barbados, ahead of a multi-country rollout in Accra, Ghana.

The Barbados launch — held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley — attracted several high-profile guests, including Barbados’ President Dame Sandra Mason; Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell; the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II; and senior officials from Mastercard and the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Former Costa Rican Vice President Epsy Campbell Barr described the GTA as “a collaborative framework to accelerate women-led trade across the Atlantic corridors.”

A follow-up forum in Accra brought together delegates from Ghana, the United States, Liberia, Nigeria, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom. Hosting the meeting, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GNCCI) President Stéphane Abass Miezan highlighted Ghana’s strategic role in linking global markets.

“This initiative positions Ghana as a critical bridge in global commerce. By supporting the rollout of the GTA, we are laying the foundation for women to compete effectively in international markets,” he noted.

The U.S.-based National Black Chamber of Commerce also announced new financing tools designed to help women entrepreneurs prepare for cross-border investment.

C1WT founder, Dr. Ky Dele, said the GTA represents a shift from mere advocacy to building real systems.

“From Bridgetown to Accra, we are moving from symbolism to structure. C1WT exists to build an architecture where grassroots connects with the grasstops, and where women-led enterprises finally have a unified global system to scale beyond borders,” she said.

A live demonstration in Accra showcased the platform’s multilingual onboarding features, digital KYC tools, workflow dashboards, and marketplace integrations linking women entrepreneurs across 102 countries.

Messages of support from Senator Ireti Kingibe and former Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, further underscored the GTA’s potential to strengthen women-led trade across continents.