The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, working with the Gender Division and the Facilitating Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Trade (FIRST) Project, has held a three-day Gender and Social Inclusion Capacity-Building Training for frontline officials at Kasumbalesa Border Post. The training focused on strengthening the ability of border officials to provide inclusive, professional and responsive trade facilitation services. It placed particular attention on the experiences and needs of small-scale cross-border traders, including women, youth and persons with disabilities. The initiative recognises that effective border management involves more than processing documents and goods. It also requires systems that allow different groups of traders to access information, services and procedures fairly and safely.
Kasumbalesa Border Post is an important point for cross-border trade, making the quality of services provided at the border particularly significant for traders and other people who use the facility. Small-scale cross-border traders can face practical barriers when navigating border procedures, accessing information or seeking assistance from different government agencies. Gender, disability and other social factors can further affect how individuals experience border services. The three-day capacity-building programme was designed to help frontline officials understand these challenges and respond to them appropriately. By strengthening the knowledge and skills of officials who interact directly with traders, the training aims to improve the quality and inclusiveness of trade facilitation at Kasumbalesa.
The training equipped participants with practical knowledge, skills and tools for integrating gender equality, disability inclusion and broader social inclusion into the delivery of trade facilitation services. This approach recognises that a border procedure can be technically correct while still creating difficulties for people who cannot easily access information or services. Inclusive trade facilitation seeks to reduce unnecessary barriers while ensuring that traders receive fair and non-discriminatory treatment. For frontline officials, this requires an understanding of how different traders may experience the same border process in different ways. The training therefore focused on practical approaches that officials can apply during their daily interactions with traders.
Participants came from several government departments and institutions operating around the border environment. These included the Zambia Revenue Authority Customs Division, Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service, Department of Veterinary and Livestock Development, Department of Fisheries, Port Health, Zambia Police Service and Department of Immigration. Representatives from Kasumbalesa Market Management under Chililabombwe Municipal Council and the Chililabombwe District Administration also participated. The broad composition of the training brought together officials with different responsibilities across the border and surrounding trading environment. This is important because inclusive trade facilitation depends on coordination between the various institutions that traders encounter during the movement of goods and people.
The training used case studies, scenario-based exercises and border simulations to help participants apply the concepts in practical situations. These activities allowed officials to examine potential barriers faced by traders and consider appropriate responses. Participants strengthened their ability to identify challenges affecting access to border services and information. They also explored appropriate ways to respond to harassment and gender-based violence within the context of their responsibilities. Practical exercises can help officials translate policy principles into actions that are relevant to real interactions at a busy border post.
Another important area covered during the training was accessibility for persons with disabilities. Inclusive border services need to take account of different accessibility requirements so that persons with disabilities can use relevant procedures and obtain information without unnecessary barriers. Officials also need to understand how communication and service delivery can affect a person’s ability to complete border processes. Improving accessibility is therefore part of creating a border environment where all traders can participate on a more equal basis. The training provided an opportunity for frontline officials to consider these issues as part of their everyday responsibilities.
The programme also addressed the need for appropriate responses to harassment and gender-based violence. Small-scale traders who experience harassment or abuse need to know where and how they can seek assistance or report incidents. Frontline officials need to understand their responsibilities and the available referral pathways so that complaints can receive an appropriate response. This is particularly relevant in an environment where traders may interact with several institutions during the course of their activities. Clear procedures can help reduce uncertainty and improve confidence in the services available at the border.
A key outcome of the training was the validation of the Inclusive Trade Facilitation Guidelines for Small-Scale Cross-Border Traders at Kasumbalesa Border Post. The guidelines are intended to translate inclusive trade facilitation principles into practical actions for the border environment. They cover areas including clear and accessible information on border procedures, fair and non-discriminatory treatment and accessibility for persons with disabilities. They also address protection from harassment and abuse as well as complaints, reporting and referral mechanisms. By bringing these areas together, the guidelines provide a practical framework for making inclusive trade facilitation part of frontline service delivery.
Clear information is particularly important for small-scale cross-border traders because uncertainty about procedures can make border processes more difficult to navigate. Traders need to understand relevant requirements, documentation and procedures so that they can comply with applicable rules. When information is difficult to access or understand, traders may face delays or other difficulties. Making information clearer and more accessible can support compliance while improving the overall experience of using border services. The emphasis on accessible information within the guidelines therefore connects inclusion with more effective trade facilitation.
Fair and non-discriminatory treatment is another central principle of the guidelines. Traders should be able to access applicable border services without facing unfair treatment based on gender, disability or other social characteristics. Professional conduct by frontline officials can help create a more predictable and respectful border environment. It can also strengthen confidence in government institutions responsible for trade facilitation and border management. Embedding these principles into daily service delivery gives officials a practical basis for applying broader commitments to equality and inclusion.
The guidelines also provide attention to complaints, reporting and referral mechanisms. These mechanisms are important because inclusive trade facilitation requires more than setting standards for good service. Traders need practical channels through which they can raise concerns when they encounter problems or experience inappropriate conduct. Officials need to know how complaints should be handled and when cases should be referred to the appropriate institution. Clear mechanisms can make it easier to identify recurring problems and improve services over time. They can also help ensure that concerns raised by traders do not disappear without an appropriate response.
The focus on small-scale cross-border traders is significant because these traders are directly affected by the procedures and services provided at border posts. Women, youth, persons with disabilities and other traders may have different needs when accessing border systems. Addressing these needs does not remove the requirement for traders to comply with applicable laws and procedures. Instead, it aims to make the process of compliance more accessible, predictable and fair. This can contribute to safer and more orderly trade while supporting the participation of a wider range of traders in legitimate cross-border commerce.
The collaboration between the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, the Gender Division and the FIRST Project also demonstrates the value of bringing trade and social inclusion perspectives together. Trade facilitation involves technical procedures, but those procedures operate within a social and economic environment. Effective border management therefore requires attention to how policies and services affect people who use them. Bringing different areas of expertise into the training can help frontline officials understand both their institutional responsibilities and the practical experiences of traders. This approach can support a more coordinated response to the challenges faced at Kasumbalesa Border Post.
The training and the guidelines are designed to move from capacity-building to practical action. Training can provide officials with knowledge and tools, while guidelines can provide a consistent framework for applying those tools in daily work. Together, they can contribute to safer, more compliant and more accessible trade facilitation for small-scale cross-border traders. The impact will depend on how the lessons from the training and the provisions of the guidelines are incorporated into routine border operations. Continued attention to implementation will therefore be important in turning the outcomes of the initiative into sustained improvements.
The initiative also contributes to Zambia’s broader efforts to strengthen its trade facilitation and border management frameworks. Zambia participates in regional and global efforts aimed at improving the movement of goods and supporting efficient trade processes. Integrating gender equality, disability inclusion and the needs of small-scale traders into frontline services helps connect these broader commitments with practical activity at a specific border post. Kasumbalesa provides an important setting for applying these principles because officials from multiple institutions work together to facilitate and regulate cross-border activity. Strengthening inclusion at the operational level can therefore complement wider policy and regulatory efforts.
For traders, the practical value of these efforts will ultimately depend on the quality of services they experience when they use the border. Clear information, respectful treatment, accessible facilities and appropriate complaint mechanisms can make it easier for traders to understand and comply with border requirements. For officials, the training provides additional tools for recognising barriers and responding to different needs. For institutions, the guidelines provide a framework that can support more consistent approaches to inclusive trade facilitation. These elements can work together to create a border environment that is more responsive to the people who rely on it.
The Gender and Social Inclusion Capacity-Building Training at Kasumbalesa Border Post represents an effort to strengthen the human and institutional side of trade facilitation. By bringing together frontline officials from key government institutions, the programme addressed practical issues involving gender equality, disability inclusion, accessibility, harassment and service delivery. The validation of the Inclusive Trade Facilitation Guidelines adds a practical framework for applying these principles at the border. For Zambia, initiatives of this kind can help connect national trade facilitation goals with the everyday experiences of small-scale cross-border traders. As the training outcomes are put into practice, the focus on fair, accessible and responsive border services can support a more inclusive trading environment at Kasumbalesa Border Post.