Advancing women’s participation in industrialization and trade.

The African Women in Processing (AWIP) Forum is the African Union’s premier continental platform for advancing women’s participation in industrialization and trade. It serves as a space for policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, innovation showcasing, and strengthening cross-border value chain linkages, while enhancing access to finance, markets, and investment opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Since its inception, the Forum has been successfully convened in Niamey (2022), Cairo (2023), and Addis Ababa (2024) each edition amplifying the visibility of women entrepreneurs and fostering connections with governments, investors, financial institutions, and development partners to scale up women-led enterprises.

The 4th Edition of the AWIP Forum, to be held under the theme “Accelerating the Development of Women-Led Industrial Parks for an Inclusive Transformation under the AfCFTA,” will build on these achievements by focusing on the establishment of women-led industrial parks and clusters as engines of value addition, job creation, competitiveness, and inclusive industrial transformation in line with the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Africa Youth Start-Ups Forum (AYSF 2025) is a flagship event within Africa Industrialization Week that empowers young innovators driving Africa’s industrial transformation. The theme of this first edition is “Igniting Youth Innovation: AI, Fintech, and Product Development for Africa’s Industrial Transformation” It focuses on AI, fintech, and product development, providing a platform for youth-led start-ups to access finance, markets, and mentorship. The forum promotes policy dialogue, encourages collaboration with investors and governments, and strengthens youth capacity in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the continent.