While the nexus between trade policy, gender equality, and sustainable development is increasingly clear, a new generation of free trade agreements is incorporating trade and gender chapters, signalling a noticeable shift from past practice. Can this be regarded as a true revolution in the way the trade community addresses gender equality? Gender issues are being addressed in free trade agreements (FTAs) by a number of countries in new ways. Some nations and regional groups are committing to make trade and gender chapters a regular feature of future FTAs. All of this activity on trade, gender equality, and the economic empowerment of women may have implications for the World Trade Organization’s Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) in December 2017 and beyond. How to make trade policy more gender-sensitive There are at least two ways to make trade policy more gender-responsive: ex ante gender assessments of trade measures; and the inclusion of gender-related considerations in trade instruments. These should be combined to yield the best results. First, assessments of the risks and benefits of trade for a country as a whole should be complemented by an analysis of potential impacts on specific segments of the population, in particular those at risk of being...
Written by Simonetta Zarrilli