Trade Policy:Gender
In many countries men and women have different roles to play in the economy and in society so international, national and regional trade policy initiatives can have different repercussions on both sexes. In the light of this, BERR is committed to considering the effects of trade policy on women and men, to ensure that its benefits or costs do not inadvertently cause or accentuate gender inequality.
Increased international trade as a result of liberalisation and globalisation can deliver economic and social improvements, but the benefits are often not distributed equally amongst the citizens of a country. Liberalised trade can open-up export markets and have a positive net impact on job creation. But lower tariffs can affect indigenous industries which are unable to compete against cheaply produced foreign imports. The results of this are more gender specific in developing countries, where men and women tend to be employed in different sectors to a greater degree than in developed countries.
When making policy, gender characteristics should be taken into account. Women, who make up 70% of the world’s poor, are often constrained by the societal norms of many countries, and have more limited access to education, property and political rights; consequently they are often not readily able to take advantage of new opportunities available in their country. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that countries with higher per capita income have higher gender equality.
What is the Government doing?
The UK Government is committed to reducing overall levels of global poverty and achieving the Millennium Development goals, some of which are gender specific.
BERR is working to promote the importance of this subject in the Government agenda:
Members of the Europe and World Trade Directorate work in close conjunction with other Government Departments, the European Commission and international organisations in considering various aspects in which trade policy can impact on gender, and inputting into international events to raise the profile of the issue.
From 2004 to early 2007 the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), with support from the Women's National Commission, sponsored a Gender Expert Group on Trade (GEGT) to help mainstream gender issues into UK/EU trade policy, and to increase the understanding of the gender aspects of trade.
Although the GEGT was formally disbanded in May 2007 BERR is still committed to trade and gender issues and is keen to maximise the effectiveness of work in this area and welcomes input from external trade and experts.
As an example of current trade and gender work, in July 2007, a project commissioned by DFID, the Commonwealth Secretariat and BERR began to produce a rigorous and usable gender and trade "Core Script".
The script takes the form of a briefing paper grounded in sound realistic understanding of the dynamics of trade negotiations, the parameters of trade policy and the workings of key institutions (particularly the European Commission). It will aim to be comprehensible, convincing and useful to key actors, based on understanding their differing roles and a realistic assessment of their capacities and incentives to maneuver in relation to the issues raised. Its primary audience will be negotiators from developed, developing and least developed countries.
BERR continues to consult with external gender and trade experts and welcomes their input into this project and other gender and trade initiatives.
Contact:
David Goodridge
Tel: 0207 215 6744
Email: david.goodridge@berr.gsi.gov.uk