Key Issues
Gender equality is increasingly understood to be critical to growth, development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Recently, this has also impacted on the recognition of the need to focus on the gender implications and effects of trade agreements and policies. This is reflected in the focus on gender in the preamble of the Cotonou Agreement, the establishment of a United Nations Inter-agency Task Force on Gender and Trade and the organization of a round table during UNCTAD XI focusing on the relationship between gender and trade.
At UNCTAD XII, the gender and trade debate will be re-appraised within the context of sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.
Purpose:
The panel will provide a platform to discuss gender, trade and development in the context of economic growth and poverty reduction. Participants will share knowledge and experiences at the national and international levels to examine the barriers to incorporating and promoting gender and development perspectives in economic processes and trade policy formulation, and will make suggestions for effectively introducing a gender lens at the national and international levels.
Participants will include government policymakers, negotiators and representatives of development agencies and civil society.
Expected outcome/deliverables:
Participants will gain an understanding of:
- The gender dimensions of trade in achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction
- The contribution trade policies can make to reduce poverty and increase macroeconomic growth by addressing the gender gap
- The importance of access to international markets for women producers
The round table will also lead to suggestions and recommendations on how to influence and incorporate the sensitization of gender issues in economic processes and in trade policy and trade negotiations.
Contact:
Fatimah Kelleher, Programme Officer
Social Transformation Programmes Division
Commonwealth Secretariat
Tel.: +44 (0) 207 747 6221
Website: www.thecommonwealth.org
or
Geneviève Féraud
Head, New Technologies, Training and Capacity-Building Branch
UNCTAD
Tel.: +41 22 917 2042