The main objective of this paper is to provide an in-depth study on gender and trade and to identify the gaps in the literature. The authors acknowledge that the consequences of trade liberalization can be mixed for women, both absolutely and relative to men, and therefore analyse 6 case studies –Ghana, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Jamaica- in order to provide a gender-aware approach to trade liberalization with a focus on women’s employment. From the evidence presented in the case studies, the paper is able to highlight both the positive and the negative impacts of trade on women’s employment.