From hearing the hopes for the African Continental Free Trade Area from some of our women in trade governance champions, to addressing some of the most frequently asked questions about women in trade, we take a deep dive into why we should all care about women and trade.

We also feature a speech from the Right Honourable Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Prime Minister of the Republic of Namibia on Women’s Economic Empowerment, prepared for a Women in Trade session hosted by tralac at the SADC Industrialisation Week last month. We’d like to draw your attention to one part of that speech in particular (click to download):

The key word here is inclusive – we must not allow the gains of trade to mean that some are left behind. Thus, we need trade to grow the economic pie to be equitably shared by all. Trade creates opportunity, but it is up to us to direct that opportunity, and to enable our citizens to take advantage of these opportunities. In short, our policy choices will influence the distribution of the opportunities to trade, and benefits of trade.

This is an absolutely critical point. To truly be inclusive, we must recognise that women are affected differently by trade policy choices than men. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is part of a broad suite of development and structural transformation objectives that make up Agenda 2063. Agenda 2063 includes ambitious targets for gender equality, and also incorporates the sustainable development goals. The AfCFTA specifically recognises the importance of gender equality for the development of international trade and cooperation. As the AfCFTA takes shape, we must firstly understand the different effects of our policies and then design it in a way that is positive and empowering for women on the continent.

tralac will be launching a Women in Trade Governance network very soon; we will keep you posted.

Women and trade

Q: Why do gender issues matter in trade relations/agreements?

A: As an important component of economic life, trade both contributes to, and is impacted by inequality. Trade affects women differently than men. Trade also affects different women in different ways. This means that we must be aware of the differences.

At worst, trade policy can increase or perpetuate inequalities; leaving women even worse off. But it is more often the case that trade policies and changes maintain the status quo in terms of inequality. This still leaves women worse off as men can access and take advantage of the benefits of trade changes, while women are less able to. At best, trade provides opportunities for women, and contributes to structural change to promote equality.

Q: How do trade policies affect women differently?

A: When considering making gender sensitive trade policy (including trade agreements) it is essential that we take into account the many roles women play in the economy. It is important to consider how women and men participate in the economy in their capacity as employees, producers, consumers, unpaid workers, traders and as tax payers. It is important to understand how trade changes affect women in each of these roles. Trade policy can play an important role in narrowing the gender gap. Or, it can contribute to widening the gap.

Download the full Q&A to find out more.

Early July the annual US-Africa AGOA Forum took place in Washington, D.C. Both the forum agendas, as well as the forum outcomes and recommendations, can be downloaded from AGOA.info at the following link.