The support programme aimed at providing support for trade enhancement and export-readiness for women-led small cosmetics producers and exporters in West Africa and promote harmonised standards to mainstream cosmetology into the formal sector in Africa.

Two-fold purposes: Provision of support for trade enhancement and export-readiness for women-led small cosmetics producers and exporters in West Africa; and the promotion of harmonised standards to mainstream cosmetology into the formal sector in Africa.

Five-fold outputs:

• Manual on Quality management for export and competitiveness in the cosmetic sector – special focus on shea cosmetics;
• Export management and documentation requirements, Manual focusing on women-owned small cosmetics companies;
• Diagnostic study on Trade Barriers and Health and Safety in the cosmetology industry in ACP Africa (14 countries);
• Gap Analysis Document on existing standards in cosmetology and an assessment of their divergences;
• A matrix of standards on cosmetology and wellness in the target countries that need to be harmonised, developed and/or adopted.

Intervention areas:

• Export product diversification;
• Compliance with technical barriers, export procedures and standards;
• Packing, labelling, certification export market requirements;
• Quality management;
• Support to SMEs;
• Support to women entrepreneurship;
• Harmonisation of standards.

Purpose 1 Provision of support for trade enhancement and export-readiness for shea-based cosmetic businesses in West Africa

• Questionnaire on the Application of Good Manufacturing practices, Marketing Mix, Export Management and Documentation requirements prepared and circulated to key stakeholders;
• Presentation on Export & Quality Challenges for Shea-Based Cosmetics carried out to the key beneficiaries;
• Study on Export Management and Documentation Requirements - Conformity and Compliance Requirements for Shea Cosmetics Exports, focusing on women-owned small cosmetics companies in 4 West African Countries undertaken and results shared widely;
• Manual focusing on quality for export, including analysis on the requirements for packaging, marketing/labelling and international certification prepared and shared widely;
• Interviews and analysis of standards requirements and market access opportunities as well as quality for export conducted in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo conducted;
• Twenty (20) plus of women-led enterprises contacted as part of the study;
• Stakeholder consultations organised and conducted;
• Three (3) On-the-job trainings modules prepared and key stakeholders trained (in both EN and FR speaking Countries) on:

1. Quality Management and best practices in Quality cosmetics including Packaging & Labelling, Consumer Marketing and standards for cosmetology;
2. Consumer Marketing and Customer Retention - Training on Good Practices for Marketing in International Markets;
3. Export Management and Documentation Requirements, tapping into Export corridors for Regional and International markets as well as Government’s assistance in the cosmetics sector in West Africa;

• Study on Export Management and Documentation Requirements – Conformity and Compliance Requirements for Shea Cosmetics Exports developed and validated;
• Manual on Quality Management for Export and Competitiveness in the Cosmetics Sector prepared and widely shared among the key stakeholders;
• Regional Training and Validation Workshop on increasing export quality and competitiveness in the cosmetics sector successfully held in Accra, Ghana with the active participation of 28 representatives of the key stakeholders.

Visibility:

• Newsletter GSA News/Issue No. 21

Purpose 2 Supporting regional integration through the application of harmonised standards and conformity assessment procedures in cosmetology in Africa

• Diagnostic study on trade barriers and Health and Safety concerns related to the cosmetology industry in ACP Africa undertaken in 14 countries prepared and validated by the Project Beneficiary undertaken and results shared with the key stakeholders;
• A list of existing standards on cosmetology and wellness in the target countries, the EAC and at ISO level prepared and widely shared;
• Gap Analysis Document on existing standards in cosmetology and an assessment of their divergences prepared and shared with key stakeholders;
• A matrix of standards on cosmetology and wellness in the target countries that need to be harmonised, developed and adopted by the stakeholders from the representative ARSO member states;
• Constitution of a permanent committee of ARSO Member States on cosmetics and cosmetology completed;
• Recommendations on harmonisation of standards in cosmetics and wellness industry in ARSO Member States adopted at the Training and Validation Workshop;
• Three (3) Outreach Materials prepared and widely shared:

1. Information on General Requirements for Herbal Products based on the Rwanda standard RS 333: 2018, Herbal Cosmetic Products - General Requirement for Herbal Products;
2. Information on Thalassotherapy-Service Requirements based on ISO 17680, Tourism and related services — Thalassotherapy — Service requirements;
3. Information on Wellness Spa Service Requirements based on ISO 17679 Tourism and related services -Wellness spa - Service requirements;

• Video on standards harmonization challenges in the cosmetology sector in relation with the application of Good Manufacturing Practices (English and with French);
• Four (4)-day Harmonization and Validation workshop with 43 participants successfully held and highly positive evaluation results;
• Twelve (12) ARSO member states represented at the workshop, namely Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Visibility:

• Newspaper article, Business Daily today – 28^th November 2019;
• NTV News - Beauty products manufacturers urged to comply with safety standards – 26th November 2019. Link to video - Beauty products manufacturers urged to comply with safety standards;
• KTN News - 12 African countries attend standards harmonizing forum in Nairobi – 28th November 2019 - Link to video - 12 African countries attend standards harmonizing forum in Nairobi.