Officials from governments, international agencies, the private sector, and civil society discussed policy plans and ideas for how to address the gender trade gap during the International Forum on Women and Trade in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday 20 June. “Each woman who can benefit from trade is a woman who can open new markets and new opportunities, can sell and spread her ideas, and support her community and sometimes her whole village,” said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström in opening the conference. The day-long event in the Belgian capital focused on using trade policy tools to facilitate women’s economic empowerment, especially in light of commitments made by governments under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable Development Goal 5 is devoted specifically to gender equality and women’s empowerment, with the associated targets calling for the elimination of discrimination and violence directed at women and girls; taking steps in the areas of property rights, financial services, and a host of other resources that could support women’s economic empowerment; and acting to give women everywhere access to reproductive rights and health, among others. The Brussels meeting programme included a combination of plenary sessions and expert panels. Among the topics under discussion was...