Established in 2004, the Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) is a pioneer trade promotion organization providing capacity-building and promotional support to women-led Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) involved in export trade. Originating in Ethiopia, CAWEE has expanded its operational footprint to Nairobi, Kenya, with ongoing outreach across the African continent.
Vision & Mission
- Vision: To build a vibrant, globally competitive class of women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia and across Africa, promoting sustainable economic growth, uplifting communities, and championing women’s economic empowerment.
- Mission: To empower Ethiopian women exporters by strengthening their institutional and individual capacities, facilitating sustainable access to international markets, and conducting action-oriented research to identify and remove systemic barriers, thereby fostering a more enabling and inclusive business environment for women in export trade.
Core Values
- Integrity: Upholding unwavering honesty, ethical behavior, transparency, and accountability across all commitments.
- Innovation: Valuing creativity and forward-thinking approaches to address industry challenges and capture opportunities.
- Diversity: Embracing and respecting varied cultures, backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives.
- Teamwork: Fostering collective effort, collaboration, synergy, and shared learning to achieve impactful outcomes.
- Sustainability: Building long-term enterprise resilience through environmentally responsible business and export practices.
- Empowerment: Supporting vulnerable women entrepreneurs while advocating for broader economic inclusion.
Support Services & Interventions
- Trade Capacity Building: Providing specialized training in international trade compliance, procedures, and standards.
- Business Development Services (BDS): Strengthening packaging, branding, and product quality to meet competitive international export requirements.
- Market Access & Linkages: Connecting women-led enterprises to domestic, regional, and global buyers, including trade fair organization.
- Trade Missions: Organizing outbound business delegations and international buyer-seller exchanges.
- Access to Finance: Facilitating pathways to capital and financial resources for SMEs.
- Policy Advocacy & Dialogue: Conducting action-oriented research, hosting policy forums, and identifying structural barriers to trade.
- AfCFTA Readiness: Equipping women-led businesses to leverage opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Leadership & Governance
- Champion: H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn (Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Chair of AGRA and Trademark Africa), supporting continental trade expansion under the theme "Boosting Intra-African Trade: African Women Taking the Lead."
- Founder & Executive Director: Dr. Nigest Haile
- 23 years of public sector service within the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry prior to founding CAWEE in 2004.
- Co-founder and former nine-year board member of Enat Bank, Ethiopia's first women-focused commercial bank.
- Lead Coordinator for the Office of the First Lady of Ethiopia's project, "Connecting 1,500 Women and Young Girls to the Export Market."
- Led international trade missions to 21 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
- Holds an academic background from Addis Ababa University, the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague, Quantic School of Business & Technology, and Rai Technology University.
- Global Chair for Global Trade at G100 and board member across various international initiatives, including the Hailemariam & Roman Foundation and Opportunity International UK.
