Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will set up the country's first International Women's Trade Center (IWTC), in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in Kozhikode, in a significant initiative to accelerate women's entrepreneurship and secure gender parity. A main project of the State's Gender Park under the Social Justice Department, it is intended as a safe space away from home for women to harness their entrepreneurial capacities, set up or expand their businesses and market their products worldwide.

The first phase of IWTC is scheduled to be completed by 2021 under the "Vision 2020" of the Gender Park. "It is important that the Gender Park unveiled the IWTC project at a moment when more and more women are foraying into entrepreneurship and exploring other alternatives for self-employment in Kerala," Health and Social Justice Minister K K Shailaja said.

Gender Park CEO, P T Mohammed Sunish said that IWTC's general system would be a world-class shopping destination, covering a range of outlets for women  entrepreneurs.