UPS, a global logistics provider, at a White House event announced a collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to promote women’s economic empowerment and to improve women entrepreneurs’ ability to export. The UPS-USAID efforts are part of the White House’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) that officially launched today.

UPS and USAID formalized their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by David Abney, UPS Chairman and CEO, and Mark Green, USAID Administrator.

“UPS is proud to be a partner in the White House’s W-GDP initiative. As a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, UPS is committing our resources and expertise to empower more women to engage in global trade,” said UPS Chairman and CEO, David Abney. “In the rapidly evolving world economy, we know that investing in women is not only the right thing to do—it’s a smart business decision, too.”

Together, UPS and USAID seek to empower women entrepreneurs around the world through three primary objectives in alignment with the W-GDP:

Providing training and workforce development, such as workshops and webinars across different regions to increase women entrepreneurs’ understanding of supply-chain processes, customs regulations, international trade agreements and related export opportunities.

Promoting entrepreneurship by assisting women in identifying market-access opportunities in their countries and regions, and tapping into high-demand industries that fit their entrepreneurial skills and circumstances.

Creating an enabling environment by identifying and addressing regulatory barriers that disproportionately hinder women exporters.

UPS has already committed resources to several initiatives that aim to empower women entrepreneurs. One year ago, UPS and the UPS Foundation launched the Women Exporters Program, a global effort to enable women-owned businesses to strengthen their skills in order to be able to export around the globe.

In June 2018, the UPS Foundation formally inaugurated a partnership with the International Trade Centre’s SheTrades Initiative, which helps to connect women entrepreneurs with buyers around the world. UPS helps train those women to simply and efficiently ship their products.

Finally, UPS is proud to serve on the board of WEConnect International. Through the company’s supplier diversity strategy, UPS spent over $600 million in 2018 with certified women-owned businesses, and the company plans to expand those efforts outside of the U.S. over the next five years.