The main objective of the author is to outline the linkages between gender disparities and international trade in SSA and highlight the importance of evaluating trade through a gender lens.
The conceptual framework provided by the author is divided into three distinct sections. The first section looks at the overall systematic gender inequalities i.e. access to income, education, decision-making. The second section gives an economic dimension to the above mentioned gender inequalities and the third section looks at the links between gender inequalities and trade expansion.
The main findings conclude that most of the factors that affect trade affect gender as well and therefore a ‘gender impact assessment’ approach should be adopted to analyse trade expansion and trade negotiations in order to achieve pro poor growth and poverty reduction policies.