5 March 2009: Mainstreaming gender in trade policy, UNCTAD
5 Mar 2009
Gender inequalities undermine people´s well-being, diminish prospects for economic growth and make economies less efficient. Gender equality is a legitimate goal in itself, as better opportunities for women lead to improvements in human development.
Millennium Development Goal No 3:
Promote gender quality and empower women
The importance of gender equality for social and economic development is highlighted in the 3rd Millennium Development Goal.
It is essential to reduce discrimination against women and girls in order to reduce poverty and reach the MDGs.
Women contribute to the economy, better governance, communities and households. Discrimination reduces women´s contribution, making societies worse off.
Trade has gender-related effects
Trade policy is interrelated with gender equality as trade policies are strongly redistributive and often generate complex and contradictory effects on women´s access to employment, livelihood and income.
Often societies where women are economically or socially discriminated against do not fully benefit from the effects of globalization and trade integration. Because of this, reducing the gender bias is especially important for developing countries where inequalities between men and women are often larger.
Trade can be a catalyst for gender equality; however the effects of trade liberalization and globalization on women so far have been mixed.
Source:UNTCAD
