EMPOWER HER: A Transatlantic Partnership Helping Businesswomen Succeed in Global Trade

Laura Gimenez, Acting Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Commercial Service Romania at U.S. Embassy Bucharest & EMPOWER HER Chair for Global Markets/Europe/Eurasia

When women succeed, economies succeed. In the United States, there are over 12 million women-owned businesses, employing over 10 million workers and generating $2.1 trillion in total sales! However, women-owned businesses do not engage in international business at the same rate as their male-owned counterparts. That’s why nearly three years ago, the International Trade Administration (ITA) and the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) teamed up to create EMPOWER HER, an initiative to help boost women’s participation in international trade across our two continents. Women’s participation in the global economy is critical to securing prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive economies for future generations. ?ITA, AmCham EU, and the AmChams in Europe (ACE) network recently reaffirmed their commitment to the EMPOWER HER initiative to drive women’s international business and trade empowerment.

When it comes to women’s economic empowerment, it’s the people and passion that make things happen. EMPOWER HER has seen widespread success, with more than 80 events organized across Europe and Eurasia that bring together private sector and government partners to create opportunities for women and to make meaningful progress on women’s empowerment and leadership in international trade.

Since 2022, the EMPOWER HER initiative has made significant progress in advancing gender equity in the following areas:

1. Building Coalitions: AmCham EU and ACE have raised awareness among their members, and as a result, over 165 companies have signed an AmCham Declaration of Support for Women’s Economic Empowerment, committing to reducing the gender pay gap, increasing women’s representation in leadership positions, and investing in women-focused programs for leadership development and skill-building.
2. Fostering Connections: EMPOWER HER’s mentorship program has led to meaningful connections and knowledge-sharing networks, helping the next generation of women entrepreneurs succeed. ITA teamed up with AmCham Italy to co-author a white paper outlining best practices for creating more inclusive work environments while improving Italy’s competitiveness and company bottom lines.
3. Encouraging Inclusive Workplaces and Economies: In Ukraine, ITA organized a webinar series to help Ukrainian women entrepreneurs overcome barriers in the market and challenging circumstances in the workplace. This series included a business accelerator program, which helped both a Ukrainian and a U.S. company generate new sales and hire more employees. When Under Secretary Lago visited Ukraine in July 2024, ITA also hosted a roundtable discussion with women business leaders on how to continue to support Ukraine’s economic growth, create jobs, and empower women as the Ukrainian people look to recover from the ongoing conflict.

As we embark on EMPOWER HER’s third year, our teams are more determined than ever to share best practices and drive meaningful change. The renewal of the EMPOWER HER Memorandum of Agreement between ITA and AmCham EU this past May is just one more important step toward greater women’s participation in international trade through this critical network. ?We will continue to focus on key areas such as critical emerging technologies and other areas where women have historically been underrepresented. Through EMPOWER HER, we will connect women with the resources to unlock their full potential and equal participation in building a more resilient and innovative economy.