One-Stop Shop Entrepreneurship and Gender-Base Violence Support Center Launched

The center is built by The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Fund for Population Affairs (UNFPA) under the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security and the United Nation Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund projects. The initiative seeks to address economic and social challenges, supporting entrepreneurship, cross border trade and survivors of gender-based violence. 

The center will provide services such as business advisory, decentralized business registration, packaging and labelling assistance and market linages. These services aim to enhance the competitiveness of micro, small and medium -sized enterprises, subsequently promoting innovation and creating employment opportunities particularly at the regional level.

The newly inaugurated Centre by the Permanent Secretary at the Trade Ministry on behalf of the Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment – Hon. Baboucarr Joof, will address challenges faced by small-scale cross-border traders in completing border formalities by providing the necessary information and existing resources.

In addition, the GBV support center will provide critical health, legal and psycho-social services to survivors in a safe space with a view to promoting prevention as well as justice and healing.

The 7 million Dalasis edifice includes a training room, shared offices for Business Support Organization (BSOs), consultation rooms for GBV survivors, a meeting room and an innovation hub. These facilities now handed over to the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GiEPA) will facilitate services around Farafenni and surrounding communities.