This paper reviews knowledge on how women and men may be affected differently by trade rules through their impacts on labour markets, production structures, prices and government revenues. It identifies some of the economic and political reasons for governments to negotiate RTAs, and some of the advantages and disadvantages that RTAs may present for small businesses in particular. There is growing interest in some organizations to “engender” trade discussions. The paper discusses examples from various trade agreements and recent initiatives aimed at providing trade officials with the information they need to integrate gender issues into trade negotiations. The paper identifies gender considerations in some trade issues of importance to women, including agriculture, services, government procurement, handicrafts and intellectual property, and describes trade promotion initiatives in some APEC economies that target women. The paper offers several suggestions to build knowledge and experience in APEC to ensure that trade liberalization contributes to prosperity for all.

CAWTAR | 2019-02-10 15:14:46

Papers

/Gender and trade//Gender and Regional Trade //Women's economic participation//Labour markets //Gender in trade policy//Women and agriculture //Women entrepreneurs/​