Analyses on Trade and Integration in the Americas: Gender Issues in Trade Policy-Making

The paper explores the arguments for considering gender when negotiating and implementing trade agreements. The authors recognise that while trade is not the cause of gender differentials, there is substantial evidence to suggest it may act as a magnifier to existing disparities and therefore it is imperative to incorporate gender issues in trade policies.
The authors start by outlining ways in which women and men, due to their different constraints, are affected differently by economic policies. They then analyse the different ways in which responses to trade policy changes may be affected by gender before exploring the ways in which gender issues have been incorporated into trade policy in the Americas.
The key findings in the paper are that gender-based labour inequalities slow development, economic growth and poverty reduction, lower the productivity of labour, and create inefficiencies in labour allocation within households and the economy at large. The paper ends with an examination of various ways to address the potential gender impact of trade and offers some guidelines for policymakers as they negotiate and implement trade agreements.