1. Women Participation In Cross Border Trade In East Africa The Role of The E A C Customs Union Protocol

2. Cross- Border Trade  The type of cross border trade practiced across the East African borders is the Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT).  It is not mandatory to submit tax returns at the end of each financial year hence not entered in national accounts.  Women constitute the larger proportion of those who practice the small scale cross border trade  women continue to face myriad obstacles in informal cross border trade.

3. Challenges women face in cross border trade  Poor infrastructure that makes goods expensive leading to less returns to investment- profit margins remain small & traders tend to remain poor.  No uniform regional standards for products  Inaccessibility to finance/credit  Low literacy levels compounded by lack of access to information related to trade, both domestic and regional

4. Cross border bureaucracy  Tedious and time consuming immigration laws that hamper free movement  Security procedures are extensive and cause delays increasing costs.  90 day pass permits are an inconvenience to continuous trade  Harassment from customs officials and police at the port of entry including men officers doing body search for any hidden goods.

5. Currency/Exchange  Many demanding processes of trading with foreign exchange affect women, negatively  Problems with currency exchange due to lack of local currency exchange facilities & enabling monetary policies to convert to the currency of the country in which they would be trading.

6. Parallel markets- illicit and legal  No policies or hostile country policies to X-border trade encourages a parallel - illicit cross border trade.  Customs officials hostile to even legal trade  Tax evasion particularly in illicit trade creates unhealthy competition with those who have paid often punitive taxes.

7. EAC Customs Union Protocol  Women do not know essential basics of the Protocol and the opportunities and challenges it poses in their day-to- day activities despite the Protocol having provisions that are aimed at accruing financial gains to traders within the Union, particularly women.  Provisions such as a tariff-free environment (Articles 2 & 10), or substantive tax reduction, trade liberalization (Art 3-4), a standard system of valuation of goods based on principles of equity, uniformity and simplicity (Art 4), reduction of trade documentation & adoption of common standards of trade documentation and procedures (Art 6/7), non discrimination of goods/traders among EAC members (Art 15/21), enabling subsidies (Art 17/18), special economic arrangements Art 32)

8. Recommendations  Aggressive publicity and dissemination of the EAC Treaty, the Protocol, the Community’s policies and other applicable laws and principles as provided for under Article 39 of the Protocol  Involvement of women/other non state actors in formulation & implementation from design to implementation  Educate government agencies on protocol and monitor compliance including to requirements of international law/treaties and conventions.