Ethical Border Trading between Kenya and Uganda by Women-led Micro- and Small Enterprises

This project examines ethical cross border trading between Uganda and Kenya with a special focus on small scale women traders. Small-scale informal trade plays a crucial role in Africa’s economy as it contributes to almost 43% of Africa’s total GDP. While 80% of cross-border trade is conducted by women, both formal and informal trade routes are primarily dominated by men and subject to extensive corruption issues.  In collaboration with the Earth Institute, Global Integrity and Busara Center for Behavioral Economics, a student team studied the experience of women traders using customer journey mapping to identify when and where women were most likely to encounter corruption during the cross-border trade process. The team also reviewed existing trade policies to ascertain potential gaps that leave female border traders more vulnerable. Through desk research, interviews with key stakeholders and a field research in Kampala and Nairobi in January, the team provided a specific set of recommendations to help address the issues with corruption faced by small-scale cross-border traders.